Special Juan 28,869 Posted May 21 Share Posted May 21 With me living in Middlesbrough you cannot imagine what it has been like here, the fans have been through the mill and are now scrambling like mad for travel, accommodation and tickets Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vesper 31,180 Posted May 22 Share Posted May 22 What I love about every Premier League ground (and what I don’t) https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/7288371/2026/05/21/premier-league-ground-like-dislike/ Andy Mitten recently re-completed ‘the 92’ — that is seeing a game at all the current football grounds in England’s top four tiers. Before the final weekend of the season, Andy, who has visited more than 600 stadiums at all levels, tells us his best and worst aspects of each of the Premier League venues. Andy, if you didn’t know, is a Manchester United supporter. Arsenal – Emirates Stadium Like: I miss historic Highbury, with its surprisingly cheap ticket prices for away fans, but with 38,000 seats it was far too small for Arsenal and that’s why they moved nearby in 2006. A rare example of a British stadium known purely by the name of its sponsor, it’s to Arsenal’s credit that they found the space to build so close to Highbury in dense, well connected, north London. It’s big, with spacious leg room, very 2000s in design and very similar to Benfica’s Stadium of Light. Smart from the outside at night, the guns from the Gunners impress, the concrete ARSENAL letters outside Drayton Park, good pubs outside, good beer inside. Dislike: The atmosphere with that North London Forever dirge. It’s got louder in the title run-in but it’s not all that great for such a storied, historic, club. I was there when FC Koln brought thousands in 2017 and shook the place up creating the type of noise I’ve never heard from Arsenal at home. A mate sat in the Arsenal end in January and said fans around him were moaning incessantly and that it was typical Arsenal… who were clear at the top of the league at the time. After a 2022 Arsenal v Manchester United (another United defeat) game I went to see nearby Haringey Borough and it was bouncing. You can do it, north London. Ryan Pierse/Getty Images Aston Villa – Villa Park Like: That it’s associated with so many great Manchester United moments in league and cups, often semi-finals. That it’s relatively close to Manchester and distinct, a big hulking ground with four separate stands. The old main stand on Witton Lane was a beauty and destroying it in the 2000s was an act of architectural vandalism. The Holte End was a vast terrace that demanded respect, though it would look quaint now given how much bigger stands have got. Trips there were missed when Villa went down, but they’re back and the decent sized away ‘end’ actually offers impressive views over two tiers from the side. Dislike: Cramped concourse in the away end. The transport links should be a strength given Villa Park’s central location in the middle of England by the busiest motorway intersection in the country — Spaghetti Junction. But they’re not. It’s awkward to reach from the centre of Birmingham, parking is limited, the policing used to be very aggressive, but it has calmed. The stands are big but unattractive from the outside, bar the brickwork around the Holte End. And the capacity has not been expanded with the times, though Villa do have active plans to push it above 50,000. Adrian Dennis/AFP via Getty Images Bournemouth – Vitality Stadium Like: I once found myself getting a lift from Bolton Wanderers’ training ground to the new Reebok Stadium with then manager Sam Allardyce. As we passed it on the M61, he shook his head and said: “We built a monument when we needed a stadium.” We agreed to disagree. If Bolton boast a monument, then Bournemouth have a box. A redeeming feature, apart from the leafy setting, is that the staff there have always been very friendly. That and it’s so small you can walk around it in minutes; there’s room in the concourses and the views are faultless. Dislike: It’s tiny, easily the smallest ground in the league and seats under 11,000, though they’ll increase to 18,000. That means the smallest away allocation and that’s not good. The atmosphere feels very nicey, nicey too. Charlie Crowhurst/Getty Images Brentford – Gtech Community Stadium Like: I got thrown out of here by nighttime security after an uninvited inspection as it neared completion in December 2018. My wife doesn’t know this happened. But I was impressed then as I am now. Brentford’s new home has been effectively squeezed between west London’s rail tracks and while it only holds 18,000, the stands are different, there’s character to the place, with funky floodlights and angled roofs. Dislike: It doesn’t have four pubs on each corner as their old Griffin Park home did. It’s hard to dislike Brentford. But I loathed absolutely everything about the place when I last visited in September 2024, following an atrocious Manchester United performance. The away allocation (typically 10 per cent of capacity) is small too. Michael Regan/Getty Images Brighton – The Amex Stadium Like: Another building site which I was politely asked to leave after checking it out in 2012 just before it opened (I was on a stag do down there and also sneaked off to watch a game at their temporary Withdean home). It’s smart and fits into the surrounding Sussex hills as much as a 32,000 stadium can. It was bold for Brighton to go so big after their years at the Withdean and the Goldstone Ground, but it paid off. Dislike: Lack of pubs, lack of edge in the atmosphere, lack of proximity to… Brighton. It can get congested going into the nearby Falmer station, too. Jordan Mansfield/Getty Images Burnley — Turf Moor Like: The northern setting, steep stands, cricket field (and bar) and a big away end behind the goal. Though it’s not quite neighbouring Blackburn — an away day fave with its 8,000 ticket allocation. The probability of a win is higher as Burnley are usually closer to the bottom of the league. What else? The friendly police. Benny-and-hot being served, a traditional Burnley drink of French liqueur Benedictine with hot water that was popularised by the east Lancashire soldiers returning from World War One. Dislike: Bit cramped beneath the away end and the town isn’t always the most hospitable for away fans. Burnley in mid-winter is comparable with Camp IV on Everest’s South Col. Matt McNulty/Getty Images Chelsea – Stamford Bridge Like: Its intimacy, with the stands’ proximity to the pitch. And I used to think the opposite when up to 9,000 away fans could walk up to Stamford Bridge without a ticket and pay to enter. Chelsea fans would walk past with gentle banter when I was a kid selling United We Stand on Fulham Broadway, the one road entrance and exit to Stamford Bridge, though that became nastier as I aged. The away end affords excellent views. The ‘Chelsea Football Club’ signs inside and outside look smart, though one is now accompanied by an ad for an AI company. Dislike: It looks dated from the outside, despite three of the stands being relatively new. The Shed End capacity is way too small and shouldn’t be taken up by a hotel. And the overall size — it’s too small. I never thought I’d say that when I used to consider the triple-tiered East Stand, one of the most expensive in England, to be massive. David Rogers/Getty Images Crystal Palace – Selhurst Park Like: It’s visceral, real, the home fans are well organised, make the noise, bring the flags and take the flares to Fiorentina away when most English fans would spend the day on the beer and roll up to the stadium late. Selhurst is Palace, proudly south London and doesn’t care that it’s the runt against flashier London stadiums and postcodes. Dislike: Tricky to get to, especially from the north and especially by road. Astronauts flew around the moon in less time than it takes to get from England’s north west to Selhurst and back. And a supermarket should not be allowed to infringe on a football ground. Talking of sell-by dates, the main stand is well past its best and is the worst in the league — and is rightfully being replaced. The post-goal music irritates. The away end is a bit of a dump; the seating rake is too shallow. And yet all that can make it endearing. It’s a football ground, not the opera. Henry Nicholls/AFP via Getty Images Everton – Hill Dickinson Stadium Like: My grandmother used to say she liked Liverpool because of its overhead railway. I wondered if she was mixing it up with Chicago, but given she seldom left Manchester I doubt it. But she was right, and you can see little bits of evidence by Everton’s new home, which is surrounded by the fascinating dockland industry of Liverpool’s past. The location is stunning on the banks of the Mersey (it also means that the old quiz question: ‘Which is the closest professional football ground to the Mersey? Answer: Stockport County’, is now redundant). It’s big, with room to go bigger and every seat offers a top view from steep stands. Away fans are by the corner. It’s close to perfect. A bit too perfect. Are football grounds supposed to be like this? Dislike: It’s not Goodison, which was one of the best, though it was also long past its sell-by date. Everton have honoured their former heroes and fans in brickwork which I admired, but need more to make it feel ‘Everton’. The transport infrastructure could be better, too, with one main road leading in and out. Michael Regan/Getty Images Fulham – Craven Cottage Like: The legroom is tight but the Johnny Haynes Stand is stunning. To think that my uncle played on the wing there in front of it 70 years ago and it’s virtually unchanged. Lovely. Craven Cottage — and there is a cottage — is a favourite, though ticket prices were getting ridiculous for away fans before the £30 cap was introduced a decade ago and still holds. That’s a great fan-led success that stands to this day. The Thameside setting, the walk through the park to the ground are all part of the Fulham experience and they’ve finally finished that very smart new stand. Dislike: Ticket prices for home fans are as bad as that bizarre statue of Michael Jackson. That the closest car park is in Fulwell, Sunderland, not Fulham. Maybe that’s a positive. Catherine Ivill/Getty Images Leeds United – Elland Road Like: I loved and hated Elland Road on my first visits. It was scary and we were kept in for an hour after one game as home fans tried to attack the opposition. But it’s unmistakably Leeds, a proud, big, one-club city which has eschewed the Premier League glow-up, since their team were not good enough to play in it. It’s hostile, loud, visceral and feels very working-class. It’s like they’ve followed the Yorkshire trope that ‘change is not good’. There are wooden seats, plus a cage that away fans must walk through that looks like you’re passing over the U.S.-Mexico border. It’s not supposed to be welcoming. It prepares you for two old foes going into battle. You feel alive when you visit amid the chip shops, pubs and cries of the fanzine sellers. Dislike: Architecturally, it’s a mess and has been for decades. The old Lowfields Road stand with grass banking looked like a 1920s throwback, before it was replaced in 1992. I think something happened in Leeds that year. Elland Road will be significantly expanded but for now it’s scruffy, with four ageing stands uneasily juxtaposed and a capacity that has gone down and not up. There are stanchions blocking the view. And yet that’s part of the charm — unless you are behind one. George Wood/Getty Images Liverpool – Anfield Like: The way Liverpool have redeveloped and expanded Anfield, bit by bit, pushing the capacity from 44,000 to 61,000. It was needed. Liverpool stalled in the 1990s as their main rivals United aggressively expanded Old Trafford, but they’ve made a smart job of it since with four distinct stands, it doesn’t look like any other stadium. The atmosphere before a big game and You’ll Never Walk Alone impresses, though it always sounds better — to me — with a ‘MANCHESTER!’ retort. Also, the Hillsborough memorial gets the space it deserves, the gates (and gable end murals on nearby housing) for former heroes, the proximity to Stanley Park. Dislike: A new Anfield Road stand means the worst view in football from the last two rows of the away end has gone. It’s much more spacious on the away concourse beneath the stand too, so I’m left not liking the lack of public transport options and that’s about it. Oh, and the fact that Liverpool play in such an impressive home. Clive Mason/Getty Images Manchester City – Etihad Stadium Like: One of our United We Stand writers derided the Etihad as an identikit flatpack bowl like Middlesbrough or Southampton, Leicester City or Derby County. It’s not. Thought went into it (for the taxpayer-funded 2002 Commonwealth Games) and it’s at the centre of an urban regeneration in what was one of the most deprived areas of east Manchester. I know United fans from the area who despise all of this, but it’s a top-quality stadium with some architectural merit. The memorial garden for fans who’ve died works well, while the stadium (for it is rather than a ‘ground’) is close enough to Manchester city centre to drink there. Dislike: Losing there. The three-tiered away end breaks the away section into… three sections. Tunnel clubs and creeping commercialisation which irks City’s legacy fans. That B of the Bang Statue outside was a mistake, too. Carl Recine/Getty Images Manchester United – Old Trafford Like: The size; over 74,000 seats (reduced from 76,500 a few years ago to expand executive and disabled areas) is a giant cavity of redness and easily Britain’s biggest club football ground. It’s full for every game, too. The Munich clock and tunnel, the statues of legends, the original players’ tunnel dating back to 1910 when it opened. The proximity of away fans, the bustling forecourt. Dislike: It’s cramped, leg room is minimal and it’s no architectural beauty from the outside. It’s positively scruffy when viewed from the Manchester-Liverpool rail line. The roof swoops too low on three sides while underinvestment saw it tire from the 2010s. But Old Trafford remains a superb football ground. Michael Regan/Getty Images Newcastle United – St James’ Park Like: It sits like a cathedral atop the fine city of Newcastle upon Tyne, visible in snatched glances around town and from across the river in Gateshead. Three sides of the ground impress, the two biggest especially. The proximity of so many good pubs close to the stadium, good public transport, a place behind the Gallowgate to watch away games. Dislike: The lack of oxygen dispensed to away fans in the highest away section in the league. The view from up there is fine over the city, but like watching ants on the pitch below. The climb to the top should come with sherpas to carry your phone. It used to be dangerous to go to Newcastle as an away fan, but I’m showing my age with memories deeply etched of getting off one coach from Manchester to be met with black and white shirted wobblers demanding ‘Where’s yer feeters?’ (translated as where are the Man Utd supporters willing to fight them?) Stu Forster/Getty Images Nottingham Forest – City Ground Like: The view across the river, especially under floodlights — and the City Ground has two old stand-alone pylons beaming their brightness on the pitch below — as you walk over Trent Bridge. Four different stands and nothing new since the Trent End that was readied for Euro 96, although there are plans for a significant expansion. Dislike: The main stand is fit for a third-tier team, in 1988. It will be replaced. Shaun Botterill/Getty Images Sunderland – Stadium of Light Like: Smart location by the River Wear and close to the city centre. Big capacity. It’s a bigger version of the identikit new bowls of the late 1990s and early 2000s. Passion from the fans. It’s an impressively big 48,000-seater for a relatively small city. It’s a football hotbed where the fanzine A Love Supreme is sold around the stadium by supporters. Dislike: Those same fans doing the Poznan in 2012 to celebrate Manchester City winning the league in front of visiting Manchester United fans. George Wood/Getty Images Tottenham – Tottenham Hotspur Stadium Like: Aesthetically, it’s probably the best stadium in Britain, with a vast, steep, single-tiered end; the golden cockerel atop the South Stand. Admire how it overlaps the original stadium on the same site. How it’s huge and yet you can walk around it — and past local shops — because it doesn’t have a vast perimeter. It looks and feels high-end, the opposite of those identikit bowls thrown up in Leicester, Derby, Southampton et al. Dislike: The large UEFA EUROPA LEAGUE WINNERS 2025 sign outside. An awkward reminder for Man United fans. And it’s hard to keep up with who Spurs fans want out because the person changes on every visit, though they do impress with their proper slow version of When The Spurs Go Marching In (Manchester United fans are incapable of singing most songs at the correct speed). Mike Hewitt/Getty Images West Ham – London Stadium Like: The capacity. I know big shouldn’t mean better, but 66,000 seats (not all are used) impresses me as it means West Ham now enjoy some of the highest attendances in the world. The name: The London Stadium. One to annoy fans of other London clubs. Dislike: A lot. It’s awkward getting in and out of the stadium. The distance from the pitch, which isn’t surprising given it was built for athletics. The vast voids between the upper and lower tiers behind the goals create a feeling of detachment. The opposite of Upton Park, then, which was tight and on top of the pitch. Also, the lack of character around the venue. A mate who tried to sell fanzines was stopped by ‘stadium footprint enforcement’. Come on. Julian Finney/Getty Images Wolves – Molineux Like: The name. What is a Molineux? I don’t want to know. (It is named after Benjamin, a merchant who bought the original land in 1744.) The proximity to the city centre, stands named after heroes, the feeling of the club being a big deal in a city centre that does need that gravitas. The newest stand, the Stan Cullis Stand behind the goal, is the biggest and best. Friendly and down-to-earth stewards who don’t stand out as hired hands for the game. Dislike: A frustrating away section. Yes, you’re right by the pitch and the section runs the length of it, but it’s low and thin and that makes the atmosphere harder to spark. The pyros before the game. But it’s a football ground. Where the magic happens, where communities come together in a historic venue to sing and celebrate and commiserate. That makes us pre-disposed to love them and excuse their foibles. Dan Istitene/Getty Images Andy Mitten is a journalist and author. He founded the best-selling United We Stand fanzine as a 15-year-old. A journalism graduate, he's interviewed over 500 famous footballers past and present. His work has taken him to over 100 countries, writing about football from Israel to Iran, Brazil to Barbados. Born and bred in Manchester, he divides his time between his city of birth and Barcelona, Spain. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vesper 31,180 Posted May 22 Share Posted May 22 Inside Aston Villa’s Europa League success: From dysfunction to the defining moment of the Unai Emery era https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/7289243/2026/05/20/aston-villa-europa-league-unai-emery/ The peak reached, the mountain climbed. Aston Villa bathed in euphoria in Istanbul. It was glorious. Captain John McGinn and manager Unai Emery are legends immortalised into club folklore with the Europa League secured in Besiktas Park after victory over Freiburg. The Villa supporters, far more than the 11,000 allocation — and who partied in the heavy rain earlier in the day — serenaded nearly every player and coach. Villa are crowned Europa League champions, winning their first major trophy in three decades and their first European trophy in 44 years. Having attained a Champions League uplift, the players now, as stipulated in their contracts, have another bonus to enjoy for winning the Europa League. Club workers, who received a five per cent pay rise after Villa last qualified for the Champions League, hoped for something similar. A master of the competition, this is Emery’s fifth Europa League title and a fitting reward for Villa’s transformation under him. In three and a half years, Emery has elevated a team outside the Premier League relegation zone on goal difference to playing three straight years in European competitions and, now, a champion in Europe. An open-top bus parade, tentatively planned in 2024 for the day after the Conference League final, only for Villa to crash out in the semi-final, will take place on Thursday in Birmingham. Villa’s players lift the Europa League trophyOzan KOSE / AFP via Getty Images This has been the most tumultuous season of any other under Emery, too. Defender Ezri Konsa aptly described it as a “rollercoaster”, enduring the lowest lows in his tenure and now, after a win against Freiburg, the highest of highs. “This was like the ending of Mission Impossible,” said a senior club source, who, like others in this piece, spoke on the condition of anonymity. “Many twists against us, but we made it.” “Unai Emery, mate… genius,” said a first-team staff member, in response to The Athletic asking how Villa recovered from the many setbacks this season. This is the story of how Villa and Emery achieved immortality for those in claret and blue. Rewind to September 2025, and Villa were heading for a full-blown crisis. Three points taken from the opening five league games, having scored for the first time in the most recent match against Sunderland. Until then, they were the only team in England’s top seven divisions without a goal. That had come courtesy of Matty Cash in a 1-1 draw away to a Sunderland side who had 10 men for more than an hour. Emery was so furious at full time that, briefly, it was suggested he was not going to attend his post-match press conference. When he did, he accused players of being “lazy” — a comment which did not go down well. He feared a season where he would be looking down the table and told his players, post-Sunderland, that he was genuinely worried. It was felt by friends of Emery’s, not at Villa, that the squad would be overachieving if they finished in a European position again, with the actual level being, without him, somewhere between 8th and 12th. Villa were dysfunctional, reeling from an austere summer. The tone of the visit to Sunderland was set before kick-off, when the team coach arrived at the stadium more than half an hour late — after Emery’s final pre-match meeting overran. Unai Emery did not hold back his anger at Sunderland in SeptemberNeville Williams/Aston Villa FC via Getty Images The Spaniard, who has a contract that runs until 2029 with no termination clause, alters schedules at late notice. Such is his power, he is even known to change the flight times for Villa’s European matches. Training remained long and players had few days off. There was a feeling that those around him were tiring, with the constant dedication required — arriving at the training ground early, working late and essentially being on Emery time — having an effect. Some players stated pre-season was overly taxing. There were too many games set in five different countries, including playing away in Marseille on one Saturday before travelling to Spain to play Villarreal the following day. It should be noted there were similar complaints a year earlier, but with the latest financial sanctions Villa were experiencing, limiting activity in the transfer market and the squad’s nucleus getting another year older, the risk of stagnancy was at the back of minds. The 54-year-old uses travel apps to help dictate what time he thinks Villa should leave for a match. At Sunderland, he underestimated the traffic on the way. Sunderland was just one example of the usually stable environment Emery had created now on shakier ground. This was an ageing squad, many of whose futures were uncertain. Several players were open, not necessarily pushing, to an exit in the summer. Morgan Rogers, considered by those close to Emery as Villa’s best player, received strong interest but knew he was the one player the club were insistent on keeping. Emery spoke with Rogers, asking him to stay another year, with the 23-year-old happily accepting. There were no major issues in the dressing room, but players were frustrated with the lack of recruitment and Jacob Ramsey, a popular homegrown member of the team, joining Newcastle United, did not go down well. Several representatives of players and staff who have worked with Emery suggested a growing sense that he would leave if Villa did not qualify for the Champions League this season. Sources at other clubs, including some who have worked with Emery previously, routinely pondered his future, irrespective of success. Emery’s future has been brought up repeatedly, but the topic was a particular talking point in the early months of the season. “Unai has been in Europe constantly for 18 years,” said one source. “He won’t want to be at Villa if they aren’t in Europe — he buzzes off it.” However, doubts over Emery’s future were disputed by other sources, arguing that he held a level of autonomy at Villa and a high volume of staff unlikely to be found elsewhere. Most importantly, Emery remained happy and appreciative of the environment he had been allowed to create. Emery, among the highest-paid managers in the Premier League, has around 15 Spanish staff on the football side — having added a physio last summer — which left the biggest question as to how, and if, he left. Sources at other clubs have discussed the idea of hiring Emery, such as Manchester United, but were reluctant to authorise so many of his staff to come with him. Previous and current staff who have worked intimately with Emery can say very little about his personal life. He is an affable, well-mannered individual, but does not tend to socialise, other than with his closest coaches, director of football Damian Vidagany, sporting director Roberto Olabe, and chief scout Alberto Benito. This sense of introspection and seriousness is exacerbated when form dips. “No one knows much about Emery”, said one staff member. Physical and mental burnout was at risk of taking hold. Villa looked exhausted and it was only September. The “negative atmosphere”, as Emery would later describe, started on the final day of the previous campaign at Old Trafford, where Villa missed out on Champions League qualification on goal difference. Emery’s thousand-yard stare at the full-time whistle captured the mood of the summer. Senior figures were glum in the weeks after. There remained a feeling of acute disappointment, regret and injustice. Villa “did not turn up,” as Ollie Watkins would reflect after, while the sense of regret lingered on Emiliano Martinez’s sending off in the first half. The injustice aspect was aimed towards referee Thomas Bramall for blowing the whistle prematurely before Rogers rolling the ball into the net, which would have stood had play been allowed to continue. Villa were unhappy at United, who, during the build-up, were trying to recruit their club doctor, who had a connection to then-head coach Ruben Amorim. Emery was incensed with Thomas Bramall at Old Trafford last MayDarren Staples/AFP via Getty Images Senior figures were enraged by the performance and refereeing decisions. Co-owner Nassef Sawiris went into the dressing room after, while the club quickly put a statement on social media, expressing their frustration towards Bramall and said they would write to PGMOL technical director Howard Webb. Then-sporting director, Monchi, later received a response from Webb, explaining the reasons behind Bramall’s appointment for the match, though expressing sympathy for the incorrect decision. It did little to lift spirits. Missing out on Champions League football left a £70million black hole in the finances. Qualifying for the Europa League meant life became even more difficult, having to adhere to UEFA’s football earnings rule and squad cost rules. There is a sentiment echoed by club executives that the various sanctions are designed to maintain the power of the footballing establishment and put upwardly mobile clubs, like Villa, at a disadvantage. This contributed to a summer where Villa had the lowest net spend of any Premier League club and a slapdash final deadline day. Victor Lindelof, who was heading to Everton, joined late on, plus loans for Harvey Elliott and Jadon Sancho, both of which provoked disagreement among employees. Emery did not want Elliott, having been offered him earlier in the summer, nor Sancho. Monchi, who would advance deals for players only for Emery to veto them, paid the price and would leave the following month. “The financial stuff is difficult, because when you qualify for the Champions League and Europa League, you need to boost your squad, and you need players to rotate,” said full-back Cash to reporters at the weekend. “It’s unfair, isn’t it? You work so hard as a club, and the owners will want to strengthen, but they can’t.” Then there was Martinez, a vocal leader — even if his ego can sometimes rub people the wrong way. Martinez wanted to leave and made it clear to anyone who would listen. He told team-mates he was joining a top European club, which did not help the increased sense that Villa were on the decline. Martinez spent deadline day at Bodymoor, waiting for a call about a transfer to United that never came. Even with the feeling that players and staff were tiring, plus frustrations over logistical management, no one doubted Emery the manager. He was still seen as the best coach to guide the squad through. “Everyone here was a bit worried,” said Pau Torres to reporters. “The club couldn’t sign a lot of players. Most were on loan or coming back from loans. We said, ‘OK, we are with the players we have, now we need to push in every session.’ It was a really good mentality change.” The uncertainty halted at the end of the window. Several sources said Villa’s first two Europa League games against Bologna and Feyenoord — one trip Emery changed the flight time of — were much needed. They offered a break away from the Premier League and a chance to restore confidence. Wins meant goals and a growing belief in ailing attacking players. “It was more about belief in our qualities, knowing we could do better,” Youri Tielemans told The Athletic. “We have a lot of good players, and we knew that once it clicked, we’d be gone. The Europa League kick-started our season. “We didn’t doubt ourselves. There were concerns about our form, which we didn’t hide from, but it was more about putting in the work, keeping doing what we do, and going back to the basics.” The turnaround was stark, yet nothing majorly changed. The leading message was to double down on the principles and mentality which had brought success. Villa hit their stride emphatically, with every win vindicating Emery’s message. Goals started to go in from all angles, and with more from outside the box than any other team in the league, they defied underlying metrics. Between November 6 and December 6, Villa won seven straight matches in all competitions. The seventh victory of that run was a last-minute 2-1 win at home to Arsenal. Afterwards, one player told The Athletic this was the moment where he felt the race for Champions League qualification was on. Emi Buendia’s last-gasp winner against Arsenal sparked wild scenesAlex Pantling/Getty Images “Bouba (Kamara) is very good, (John) McGinn is very good! Unai is very good!” said one first-team source. “Throughout that time, we never really changed anything,” reflected Tyrone Mings in a press conference. “I know it sounds strange, but we were always reiterating that hard work and togetherness were always how we achieved everything.” Villa went on to register 11 straight wins, which defined their season. After Christmas, they were 12 points ahead of United in sixth place. “With the circumstances we had in the summer, we couldn’t spend a lot of money, so to do the job he’s done is unbelievable,” Cash said to reporters. “When we went through a little dip, and I’ve seen some things on Twitter about, ‘Unai’s time is up now’, but then we come again,” Ross Barkley told The Athletic. “Then all the fans and people are like, ‘wow’ because he is one of the best managers in the world. Unai is a consistent manager; he’s always pushing.” Villa have managed to achieve two key objectives, despite discernible cracks in the team. The lack of recruitment indicated a quality deficit in forward areas — club sources admitted they were overly reliant on Watkins and Rogers — with squad depth a concern. The fluctuating season changed course once more. Between October and the end of January, Villa won more games than any other side. In the next 19 matches after the final win of the 11-game run — a 2-1 victory at Stamford Bridge — Villa collected just 23 points, and were 14th in the form table in that period. This coincided with a triple-injury blow to the midfield. Kamara, Tielemans and McGinn were ruled out within three weeks in January. Kamara’s knee injury, which would keep him out for the remainder of the campaign, was sustained away to Tottenham Hotspur in the third round of the FA Cup. At the time, Villa were third in the league, level on points with Manchester City and six behind Arsenal. Kamara boasted the best points-per-game record of any Premier League player this season (2.33). Several close observers believe he is Emery’s best and most important player. What You Should Read Next It’s time to finally credit the Premier League’s unsung defensive heroes Certain players can stand out for their presence without touching the ball. Here's how they make an impact Following the 1-1 draw with Leeds United in February, one player admitted his relief in Chelsea drawing against Burnley and missing the chance to move within three points of Villa in fourth place. “Thank f*** for Burnley,” he said. Villa then lost to bottom-of-the-table Wolverhampton Wanderers. Vidagany described the atmosphere in the dressing room as akin to “a funeral”. Boubacar Kamara has been injured since JanuaryOli Scarff / AFP via Getty Images “Our success is creating the pressure,” said one senior figure. Preliminary talks over new contracts for players could not be formally agreed until after June 30, at the end of the financial year and once Villa knew if they were in the Champions League. Four days later after Wolves, Villa were demolished 4-1 at home by Liam Rosenior’s Chelsea. Those connected to the dressing room spoke of Villa’s lightweight nature and how much the strategy centred on Rogers. One player confided in Chelsea being the first time under Emery when they were unsure of the game plan. The Spaniard shared frank words with some of the senior players post-match. When Villa dipped, so too did others around them, namely Chelsea. Away from matchdays, Emery allows the dressing room to police itself. He has never fined a player for indiscretions since arriving. Despite his demanding nature, he does not tend to mind what a player does off the pitch, as long as they are performing on it. Nonetheless, without those three midfielders routinely in the changing room, all leading professionals, standards sporadically slipped, with others, who had struggled for consistent starts and were not convincing Emery in training, late on occasion. Yet for the large majority of players, as would be vindicated in Istanbul, they viewed Emery’s loyalty as a strength. “What I find special, different from other managers, is that he doesn’t listen to the outside noise,” said Tielemans. “Let’s say you have a bad game, he’s going to be there to support you. When you’ve proven to him that he can trust you, he’s not going to let you down if you don’t let him down. “It’s a special bond he creates with the players that prove to him they are worthy of playing. Once you’ve got that, and then he’s going to give you the world.” In the meantime, Emery was expertly dealing with the Europa League. His controlled approach helped Villa conserve energy, while qualifying second in the league phase enabled him to adopt his customary approach of keeping the first leg tight away from home before opening up in the second leg. This was shown in the knockout matches against Lille and Bologna. The first significant stumble, though, came at Nottingham Forest in the semi-final, losing 1-0. Sandwiching the two legs was Tottenham Hotspur’s visit. Villa were booed off, having lost 2-1, but more so due to the lifeless display, which cranked up the anxiety for the return tie. “Fans get used to the ‘new normal’ very quickly, so a trophy is what’s needed now to re-energise them again — which is a wild thing to say,” said one senior figure at another Premier League club. “Unai has been there before so many times that I back him to come through once again.” If Emery were ever to leave, there is an admission from several sources that Villa would likely be backpedalling around mid-table once more. “Never write this manager off,” said a club source following Forest. John McGinn scored twice as Villa swept aside Forest in the second leg of the Europa League semi-finalCarl Recine/Getty Images “We are inside an amazing moment in a season,” explained a senior figure. “It (the Forest home leg) is either viewed as a threat or opportunity… I prefer the second one.” As it transpired, Villa players delivered their best performance of the season, blowing Forest away to win 4-1 on aggregate. “He’s an elite manager, we’re lucky to have him,” said one recruitment figure. “The rest (against Tottenham) probably played a factor into the squad having so much energy,” added one player, not involved in the match. “When it’s a knockout game, the adrenaline is different. It was a top performance and Unai was just being the tactical genius, as always.” Excitement was now palpable among players. Admittedly, many were exhausted at the tail end of a long season, but there was an insistence that they had more than enough for two more big efforts, starting with Liverpool’s visit. “I think it’s been a good season, but if we don’t finish it off now with these three games,” a key player told The Athletic before Liverpool. “It can easily go down as not a very good season, so we’ve got to do the job.” Villa secured Champions League qualification after hammering Arne Slot’s side 4-2 on Friday. Celebrations were minimal as a team meeting was organised for 11am the next day. Emery is a stickler for detail, but players accepted that more important games require even more scrupulous preparation. The theme of the meeting was that the league’s key objective had been met. All eyes were now on Freiburg. The discussion was relatively light, centring on Freiburg’s man-to-man structure. More detailed analysis sessions took place on Monday morning, before Villa flew to Istanbul later that day. “I reckon we’ll watch the Forest second leg first,” Cash told The Athletic. “We haven’t watched that one yet. That’ll be a good hour and a half, then we’ll watch Freiburg, which will probably be two hours. We will then do two or three analysis sessions as well as, for me, individual analysis with the defensive coach.” Villas chefs and other staff flew out on Sunday, settling into the Hilton Hotel where the players were going to stay. If they looked out of their windows, Besiktas Park could be seen. Torres and Cash noted confidently that Villa are good against teams who set up man-to-man, with Emery tending to use a 4-2-2-2 shape, deploying Rogers and Watkins up front and Martinez bypassing any press by kicking long. The goalkeeper did just that from the outset, with Villa dangerous whenever they went direct and used Emery’s customary box midfield to pick up the second balls. Generally, though, the final perfectly encapsulated Emery’s teams doing what they do best: doing the fundamentals well, a penchant for the sublime goal and as demonstrated in the set-piece routine for Tielemans’ volley, leaning on meticulous analysis to nail the small details. In doing so, Emery and his team became legends. Villa gave Emery “the keys to the castle” and he, along with his many staff, turned it golden. Jacob Tanswell Jacob is a football reporter covering Aston Villa for The Athletic. In 2021, he was awarded the Football Writers' Association Student Football Writer of the Year. In 2025, Jacob won Scoop of The Year at the British Sports Journalism Awards for breaking the story of Maccabi Tel Aviv supporters being prevented of attending the club's match at Villa Park. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vesper 31,180 Posted May 22 Share Posted May 22 Pep Guardiola’s Man City exit comes with their 115 charges still looming. What’s the latest? https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/7288757/2026/05/19/manchester-city-115-charges-latest-pep-guardiola/ Pep Guardiola is leaving Manchester City after 10 years — a decade in which he led them to six Premier League titles, three FA Cups, five League Cups, a Club World Cup (old, annual version) and a Champions League, the latter capping their 2022-23 treble. In many ways, it marks the end of an era for English football’s top flight. When Guardiola arrived from Bayern Munich in summer 2016, he walked into a division where his managerial counterparts included the likes of Arsene Wenger and Jose Mourinho. By the time his departure was confirmed, he had outlasted them all, including his greatest rival of all, then Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp. But there are other matters that Guardiola has outlasted, too. Catch Up On The Story Pep Guardiola to leave Manchester City this summer, Enzo Maresca expected as successor Maresca is now expected to take over at City, who may yet win this season's Premier League, four months after his exit from Chelsea. City were less than three seasons into the Catalan’s reign when UEFA began investigating allegations they had previously breached its financial regulations, which led to the club initially being banned from European competition for two years, before that decision was overturned by the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) in July 2020. The Premier League, subsequently, announced in February 2023 it had charged City with 115 breaches of its own financial rules. More than three years later, after a lengthy hearing at the end of 2024, a verdict has still not been handed down. City have steadfastly denied wrongdoing from the start of the whole process. As the 55-year-old leaves, and a new era begins in the blue parts of Manchester, City’s ongoing legal proceedings are thrown into sharp relief once more; a decision which threatened to shape Guardiola’s legacy will now hang over the man the club turn to next — which The Athletic has reported is expected to be Enzo Maresca. What have City been accused of? Broadly, the Premier League have accused City of repeatedly breaching profit and sustainability rules (PSR), which govern the losses that clubs are able to incur over a rolling period. According to the Premier League, City both artificially inserted money into the club by disguising payments from ownership as sponsorship money, and hid outgoings, by providing undeclared salaries or bonuses to players and managers. Pep Guardiola has left CityAdrian Dennis/AFP via Getty Images The 115 charges against City have sometimes been alternatively described as 129 or 130 charges — it depends whether breaches which allegedly occurred over multiple seasons are counted separately, or bundled together across campaigns. Functionally, however, the charges boil down to five categories: Fifty-four charges of failure to provide accurate financial information Fourteen charges of failure to provide accurate details for player and manager payments Seven charges of breaching profitability and sustainability rules Five charges of failing to comply with UEFA’s FFP regulations Thirty-five charges of failing to cooperate with Premier League investigations The Athletic has produced a detailed breakdown of the exact allegations here, including specific emails which have formed the cornerstone of both UEFA’s and the Premier League’s cases. Catch Up On The Story Man City’s Premier League charges – exploring what their past cases and evidence reveals Exploring evidence from previous cases Manchester City have faced to explain the charges being deliberated over in the Premier League trial When did this process begin and what is the likely timescale? The Premier League first launched an investigation into City in March 2019, following the publication of dozens of the club’s internal emails by German newspaper Der Spiegel the previous year. It then took almost four years before the league reached a decision on whether to pursue sanctions — announcing it had charged City with 115 breaches of its financial rules in February 2023. The Premier League has not engaged with the media over any aspects of the case since then, with CEO Richard Masters stating at the start of the 2025-26 season: “I really can’t comment, and there are very good reasons for that. As you know, our rules are very clear. I can’t talk about the process in any aspect between the period when allegations and charges are announced until a decision is handed down.” It took over 18 months for the in-person hearing to begin, which took place in London between September and December 2024. City were represented by Lord Pannick KC, one of the most experienced and expensive lawyers in the country. The process is being run by a three-person independent panel, whose identities are currently anonymous. All proceedings are effectively being run on their schedule, rather than adhering to any publicly announced timeline. Initially, there had been an expectation within both City and the Premier League that a decision might come within six months, by the end of last season. Even with the understanding that the case is exceptionally complicated — charges of a single PSR breach against Everton and Nottingham Forest in 2023-24 still took multiple months — the length of deliberations has still been unprecedented. According to sources representing both sides of the case, who, like all of those spoken to for this article asked to speak under the condition of anonymity because they did not have the authority to discuss private legal proceedings publicly, the panel are still working on their judgment, almost 18 months on from the hearing’s conclusion. These sources have not been informed of when any decision might be expected. When it eventually comes, their decision will be one of the most scrutinised rulings in UK legal rulings, with lawyers involved in the case having indicated to The Athletic that appeals are likely from whichever side does not receive a favourable judgment. The lack of information provided by the Premier League, as well, means that the nature of the judgment is also unclear. It has not been confirmed, for example, whether the judgment will contain any recommended punishment or only answer the question of guilt — and it is unknown whether that punishment, such as a points deduction, would be applied immediately or subject to further appeals. People with knowledge of the situation told The Athletic that the football regulator will have to be informed before a judgment is handed down. What are the most serious charges? Not all charges are created equal. The charges of “failing to cooperate with Premier League investigations” are effectively misdemeanours, related to the disciplinary process rather than the alleged offences themselves. To some extent, as well, the charges of having breached both Premier League and UEFA sustainability rules are dependent on whether the panel finds that City did knowingly fail to provide accurate financial information. As The Athletic previously described these offences, City were expected to release this information in order to demonstrate their adherence to PSR. Charged with 54 offences in this category, in essence, City are alleged to have breached five or six clauses every year for nine years. Catch Up On The Story Manchester City vs the Premier League – explaining the 115* charges and how long the case will take The Premier League's case against Manchester City begins today - this is everything you need to know about what is being contested The key question is whether City accurately reported the true revenue they were gaining from sponsorship deals with companies linked to their ownership, or whether they only declared part of it — and if they did accurately declare the amounts, whether they would have breached PSR limits. It is expected, for example, that the panel will closely examine emails previously published in the UEFA ruling which appeared to show City executives discussing cashflow between sponsors and the football club, as well as what they were expected to show for auditing purposes. City had a previous case overturned by CAS after a UEFA punishment — is this different? This is one of the nubs of it. One of the Abu Dhabi-linked sponsors was a telecommunications company called Etisalat — with the initial UEFA adjudicatory chamber finding they were “comfortably satisfied” that City “did not truthfully declare their sponsorship income as payments purportedly made by sponsors were in reality payments from (owners) ADUG or (Sheikh Mansour).” However, after City appealed to CAS, the appeal committee ruled that the evidence related to alleged payments from Etisalat could not be admitted because they were time-barred — stating that City “cannot be prosecuted on the basis of financial information that was first submitted outside the limitation period”. CAS reached a similar conclusion over another sponsor, the airline Etihad, who remain City’s front-of-shirt sponsors, ruling that this evidence was partially time-barred. UEFA’s regulatory framework is different to the Premier League’sCarl Recine/Getty Images However, the Premier League operates under a different regulatory framework. Based on conversations with several legal experts with knowledge of the case, the Premier League is unlikely to be blocked by time-barring rules in exactly the same way UEFA was — but that does not preclude City’s legal team from attempting to challenge that evidence. Other sources have also indicated that the disclosure process resulted in the Premier League gaining additional documents than those possessed by UEFA — potentially giving them access to a wider range of arguments in favour of prosecution. Have there been any developments along the way? This has been an exceptionally secretive process — with lawyers involved in the case having stated that proceedings have been governed by the tightest anti-disclosure laws they have ever encountered in their careers. It means that details of the exact lines of arguments pursued by both parties have not been made public — and full awareness of their positions will not emerge until the independent panel release their judgment, subject to potential redactions. In part, this is because of the sensitive political implications that may arise from the case. For example, a key part of the case related to the identity of a mysterious ‘Person X’, who was named in several key emails as having facilitated the alleged wrongful sponsorship payments to City. The Athletic subsequently revealed in March 2025 that ‘Person X’ was an individual named Jaber Mohamed, a key aide of Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan (MBZ), now the ruler of Abu Dhabi. What You Should Read Next Senior aide of Abu Dhabi Crown Prince was mystery £30m broker in investigated Manchester City sponsorship deal According to an unpublished 2020 judgement made by UEFA’s CFCB, Manchester City’s lawyers name the individual as "Jaber Mohamed". At the time, Mohamed worked as the general director of the Crown Prince’s Court (CPC), an Abu Dhabi government body that runs MBZ’s public affairs. Another key figure at City, former board member Mohamed Al Mazrouei, is listed as working at the CPC as the organisation’s undersecretary. He and Mohamed, at the time of the payments, were the two most senior employees of the CPC, raising uncomfortable questions not just about the source of the funding for the alleged sponsorship payments, but also as to whether these were known about within the highest seats of power in the UAE. Neither Mohamed, the CPC nor City responded to multiple requests for comment. Jacob Whitehead is a reporter for The Athletic who covers investigations, cycling, and Newcastle United. He previously worked on the news desk. In 2025, he was a Gold Award winner at the 30 to Watch journalism awards. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vesper 31,180 Posted May 22 Share Posted May 22 ‘Spygate’ – the fallout: Player fury, rivals’ shock and a significant legal precedent https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/7295741/2026/05/21/spygate-southampton-middlesbrough-legal-questions/ It is widely regarded as the most lucrative match in football, but the Championship play-off final between Hull City and Middlesbrough on Saturday feels like a sideshow to the related legal disputes that have dominated the past two weeks — and may continue long after. The ‘Spygate’ affair has resulted in Southampton being expelled from the play-offs, despite beating Middlesbrough 2-1 on aggregate in the semi-finals. Middlesbrough, whose season seemed over, were reinstated due to a Southampton intern analyst secretly videoing a section of their work on the training pitch two days before that tie’s first leg. They will now have the chance to hit the jackpot of promotion to the Premier League, widely considered to be worth about £200million ($269m) to the club who go up. Southampton, whose punishment was confirmed after an appeal was rejected late on Wednesday, were also handed a four-point deduction applying to the Championship next season after admitting to also previously spying on Oxford United and Ipswich Town training. They have vowed to start rebuilding trust with fans, but the legal fallout from this affair threatens to engulf far more than just their St Mary’s stadium, with Andrew Street, a partner at law firm BCLP, suggesting the case “is arguably one of the most consequential sports disciplinary decisions to date, and certainly is in terms of its potential financial impact”. The Athletic examines the legal ramifications of this situation and what could happen next. What You Should Read Next The inside story of ‘Spygate’ – featuring a pine tree, disguises, damning WhatsApps and a sport in shock The Championship has been thrown into chaos by one of the most remarkable stories of the season What was the legal basis for the decision to expel Southampton from the play-off final? As far as English football goes, this was an unprecedented scenario both in case type and severity of punishment. The previous highest example of spying was in January 2019 when Derby County caught a member of Marcelo Bielsa’s Leeds United staff observing their training. Bielsa admitted to ordering others to snoop on every opposition team throughout the season and paid the £200,000 fine from his own pocket. There was no rule in place at the time to guard against such a breach of privacy and the incident happened midway through the regular season. The specificity of the rule breach this time, and the fact it came during the play-offs, complicated matters. Southampton admitted to breaching EFL rule 3.4, which states all clubs “Shall behave towards each other club and the League with the utmost good faith.” They also admitted to breaching rule 127 on three occasions — spying before games against Middlesbrough, Oxford United and Ipswich Town. “No club shall directly or indirectly observe (or attempt to observe) another club’s training session in the period of 72 hours prior to any match scheduled to be played between those respective clubs,” the rule states. Tensions boiled over during the play-off semi-finalsWarren Little/Getty Images Leading sports lawyer Dan Chapman, a managing partner and the head of sport and employment at Leathes Prior Solicitors, says the case is unique. “We have seen cases where clubs have fielded an illegible player in a cup competition, for example,” he told The Athletic. “Not in any way the same level of misconduct, but the usual outcome of that is you are disqualified from that cup. “The defences that often flow from that are, ‘We were 2-0 up at the time and we brought him on in the 93rd minute, it didn’t make any difference to the outcome and now we’re going to lose all this money’. But ultimately the position is you breached the competition rules and you are are likely to be expelled. “It is the closest analogy I can give. But there is a huge difference between being kicked out of the FA Cup and, in monetary terms, the biggest game in football.” Have there been any precedents? There have been other incidents in which promotion or the result of a knockout match have been overridden by off-field misdemeanours, but none were deliberate or malicious breaches. In 1990, Swindon Town were denied promotion to the top division despite winning the play-off final 1-0 against Sunderland. Chairman Gary Herbert admitted 36 charges involving illegal payments to players over five years and Sunderland were promoted instead. Newcastle claimed they should have been promoted as the highest league finishers behind Swindon. This year, Swindon were kicked out of the EFL Trophy for fielding two ineligible players. Oliver Clarke, who was serving a seven-game suspension, came on as a sub while Aaron Drinan, who started the second half, was not named on the official team sheet. A 2-1 victory was instead recorded as a 3-0 walkover. In 2014, Cardiff submitted a complaint to the Premier League that their starting line-up had been illegally obtained by Crystal Palace, who had defeated them 3-0, but Palace were only handed a £25,000 fine. Cardiff complained after their 3-0 defeat to Crystal Palace in 2014Steve Bardens/Getty Images Given the vast sums clubs in the Premier League earn when TV revenue and prize money is considered, the call to expel Southampton was momentous. “I can understand why they have reached this sanction,” Chapman added. “Did I for one moment think they would? Probably not. I think most people are surprised. I think they should have postponed the second leg, dealt with the hearing and then they would have had more options available to them.” Why were Southampton handed two punishments? Middlesbrough had made clear their intention to sue for loss of opportunity if a meaningful sporting sanction was not administered. The EFL was able to successfully argue that, as the breaches against Ipswich and Oxford happened in the regular league season and the spying against Middlesbrough happened during the play-off period, they occurred in effect in two separate competitions. It is why Southampton received two separate punishments. “It was too late to impose a sporting sanction for the in-season offences, so the panel needed to look at a points deduction for next season,” Chapman said. “Whereas, for cheating in the play-offs, there was still a chance to impose a sporting sanction. They have a very wide range of powers, no different to the Manchester City case where the range of outcomes span expulsion from the Premier League to a slap on the wrist.” Although there was no domestic comparison available, the scandal that dogged Canada women in 2024 did offer a precedent. As the reigning Olympic champions, Canada were found to have operated a sophisticated spying operation on their opponents New Zealand by flying drones over their training sessions. They were docked six points, ending their Olympic hopes, with head coach Bev Priestman and two members of her staff banned from football for 12 months by FIFA after an investigation found it had also happened at previous tournaments. “It is idiotic from Southampton and an easy decision is to refuse the appeal,” says one criminal lawyer looking at the case, who asked to remain anonymous to protect their position. “The Canada scenario is key to this, establishes a base line and Southampton seemed to have gone further. The rules are also much better codified now and the conduct of Southampton was systemic. At least three times, and planned.” What are the implications of this decision for Southampton? Talks are scheduled to take place today between the club’s Serbian owner, Dragan Solak, staff and players. The futures of manager Tonda Eckert and sporting director Johannes Spors are in major doubt, and The Athletic has been told by multiple sources that many staff members have been left furious at how events have unfolded. Sport Republic CEO Rasmus Ankersen has not been on the ground much at all, having taken a step back from Southampton in the last year with most of his focus geared towards Turkish club Goztepe, but Southampton’s statement issued on Wednesday promised a thorough review of the club’s culture. Many Southampton players who remained at the club after relegation last season were subject to relegation clauses that saw their wages cut. Promotion would have provided restoration to their former salary levels or a big bump, and some staff were in line for big paydays, too, all of which will now go unrealised. It has opened the possibility of players potentially suing their own club for lost earnings and some players are already speaking with the PFA to assess their options. Agencies, too, have been seeking to understand the menu of options at their disposal. Dragan Solak is meeting Southampton players and staff on ThursdayDan Mullan/Getty Images “I’m not sure we are going to see a raft of players suing Southampton for compensation, even if the PFA might argue it,” said Chapman. “Theoretically you can sue for compensation, but there are all sorts of complicated legal hurdles and legal principles like causation and remoteness of damages. “You would have to argue what would have happened but for the unlawful conduct of the employer. It is quite difficult as there is not a clear rule breach, unlike with the club rule which means the EFL didn’t need to prove the spying caused any benefit. “They will say we have lost out on that pay rise but they have only, at best, lost out on a 50 per cent chance of that pay rise. They would have to demonstrate that they would have got there.” They may face the same issue that Nottingham Forest did in their case against a Premier League-imposed points deduction in 2024 when their argument that they delayed the sale of Brennan Johnson until after the PSR accounting deadline because of his importance to the team did not succeed. What could be more likely is a triggering of clause 11.1 in the standard contract for professional players in England, which states that a player can terminate their contract by 14 days’ notice in writing to the club if the club “shall be guilty of serious or persistent breach of the terms and conditions of this contract…”. “A good player on a three-year contract who has a market value of £10m could make a strong argument to terminate their contract for what is called just cause,” says Chapman. “Saying that your employer has cheated and denied you the chance to play in the biggest game in football is a pretty reasonable argument. That could put them in a position as a free agent where they can command a very good deal. Rather than try to sue them for a load of money and all the complexities of that, I wonder if we might see some players considering whether to just terminate and get a good signing-on fee elsewhere.” There could also be implications for Southampton’s sponsors and commercial partners who could, according to Street, “look at their options, including termination or claims for breach of any reputational damage clauses that sponsors often insist upon”. What are the implications for the EFL? Just as the appeal shut down one legal headache, it opened up the potential for several more challenges. Although Hull will play in Saturday’s final, clubs sources have told The Athletic that they do not believe the EFL’s rules allow for a losing club to be reinstated in these circumstances. As Southampton’s appeal process played out, Hull sought legal advice on whether they should be awarded a walkover as only they have made it to Wembley on sporting merit (they beat Millwall 2-0 on aggregate in the semi-final). Owner Acun Ilicali gave an interview to Sky Sports on Wednesday outlining how his team have been disadvantaged by the delay in knowing their opponent. “When you look at the picture, it doesn’t seem too fair that we don’t know who we play and we just focus on Southampton for eight, nine days. And of course, now in two days, we have to change everything.” There is also the potential that Wrexham could launch a legal challenge on the basis that they finished seventh and were next in line to enter the play-offs, although that is understood to be unlikely. Ipswich and Oxford could also have a case, but the latter were relegated by a margin of four points so even a default victory being retrospectively applied would not change their fate, and Ipswich won automatic promotion. Another possible complication is if any more evidence emerges of further spying on teams who missed out on automatic promotion or qualification for the play-offs. With the revenues involved so vast, the attraction to sue is obvious. “We will have to be ready for anything,” said an EFL source. Southampton admitted to spying on Ipswich in AprilWarren Little/Getty Images A contributing factor to Middlesbrough’s anger at Southampton is the fact the latter were already in receipt of Premier League parachute payments. These are worth £49m this season, which Boro believe already bestows them an advantage over the majority of the league. One EFL chief executive, speaking anonymously to protect their position, posited a novel way to redress that imbalance next season with Southampton due to receive their second payment of £40m this summer. “Sporting integrity is the core of any league, so violating that needs to be addressed,” they say. “I also think a fine equal to their remaining parachute payment for next season would be a good way of balancing that sporting integrity for next season and not just points. “I think it’s fair they were expelled, but it means they remain in the Championship next season with another year of the parachute payment benefit, so that doesn’t really help the other clubs still in the league.” There is another knock-on effect of Southampton not returning to the Premier League at the first time of asking. Had they won promotion, the second year of parachute payments would have been recycled across the top division — a dividend of £2m per team. Those clubs will now not receive that payment. How has the verdict been received within football? Crystal Palace chairman Steve Parish’s X post of an exploding head emoji captured the feeling across most of English football. The Athletic has spoken to a wide range of figures within the sport, from executive level to players, to gauge reaction, although all wanted to remain anonymous due to the sensitivity of the case. One Premier League executive said: “They’ve been massive d***heads and bought a ticket for the punishment lottery, especially post-Leeds. But the punishment is absolutely massive and is a big headache for the EFL. Can they re-legislate the whole league? “I do have sympathy for the EFL. There’s a rule and Saints cheated in the play-offs, a separate competition. What could they do? Cheating ahead of a £200m tournament is bad but here’s a £500k fine? That would be open season for everyone else to do it.” An EFL sporting director said they were “glad they have gone hard, but it also seems very harsh” but a lawyer with experience in regulatory cases believes the punishment doesn’t fit the crime. “I didn’t see any way Middlesbrough would get back in because there were so many off-ramps for the EFL,” they said. “I don’t think many neutrals would have complained had they been heavily fined and given a points deduction next year. Considering the Leeds case, it seems so draconian. Marcelo Bielsa admitted to ordering spying on Derby in 2019Lindsey Parnaby/AFP via Getty Images “The specific law makes it easier to find a breach, but it doesn’t then follow that the sanction has to be this heavy. It is more or less saying that had the analyst not done that, Middlesbrough would have won the game, but that is so hard to prove.” There is universal sympathy with the Southampton players. “It’s nuts,” says one Championship player. “I really feel for the players as it has absolutely nothing to do with them. They risk the loss of life-changing earnings. I don’t know why they couldn’t have just immediately banned those involved and let the players do their bit.” What kind of precedent does this set legally? The primary concern among lawyers is about how quickly this process has been fast-tracked. Had this not happened in the play-off bubble, it would have been no surprise for the process to have taken months to complete. “In this case both the original commission and the appeals panel has had to rush through a decision,” says Chapman. “They may well have done a brilliant job in the circumstances but I’d be amazed if we don’t see satellite litigation coming from the consequences. “The EFL and their panels were in a difficult position because whatever they did there was going to be the prospect of high-value litigation. It may well be that the view taken is that if any club is to be left disgruntled, it ought to be Southampton as you have the moral high ground since they are the ones who cheated. Whereas if you are being sued by Middlesbrough or anyone else, you don’t have that same moral high ground. “Fundamentally, if you look at it from the perspective of those adjudicating this matter, do you want to see Middlesbrough seeking redress of £100m, or Hull, or do you want to take whatever Southampton say about it on the chin? Whatever legal arguments they have put, you can always end up back arguing that they put themselves in this position.” At the heart of it, that is why so many people inside Southampton feel aggrieved at the decision, but even more so by the conduct of their own club. Jordan Campbell is a football writer for The Athletic, who regularly covers Manchester City. In 2024, he was named in the 30 to Watch journalism awards. He previously covered Glasgow Rangers and was twice nominated for Young Journalist of the Year at the Scottish Press Awards. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fulham Broadway 17,810 Posted May 22 Share Posted May 22 No mention of the fans. You know, the people that make this whole circus viable. They should be reimbursed Vesper 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Special Juan 28,869 Posted May 22 Share Posted May 22 The bloke who spied on Boro admitted doing it and also doing it against Oxford, he didn't do it for Ipswich as he wasn't around so they sent an alternative staff member. He also said in the hearing he was put under major pressure to do it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fulham Broadway 17,810 Posted May 23 Share Posted May 23 Hull promoted Boro ''Can we play Southampton instead ?'' Vesper 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nyikolajevics 2,851 Posted May 23 Share Posted May 23 31 minutes ago, Fulham Broadway said: Hull promoted Boro ''Can we play Southampton instead ?'' Ollie McBurnie joined Hull City who only stayed in the Champo with better goal difference last season, coming back from Las Palmas(!), only to fire them to the 6th place and win the playoff. What a great story. Wheter Hull have any good plans to stay up is another question. Looking at Coventry, Ispwich and them, neither seem to be very strong contender.. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fulham Broadway 17,810 Posted May 24 Share Posted May 24 23 hours ago, nyikolajevics said: Ollie McBurnie joined Hull City who only stayed in the Champo with better goal difference last season, coming back from Las Palmas(!), only to fire them to the 6th place and win the playoff. What a great story. Wheter Hull have any good plans to stay up is another question. Looking at Coventry, Ispwich and them, neither seem to be very strong contender.. Yeah quite amazing coming back from the Canary Islands to the PL. Out of those 3 probably Hull to go straight back down Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vesper 31,180 Posted May 24 Share Posted May 24 2 hours ago, Fulham Broadway said: Yeah quite amazing coming back from the Canary Islands to the PL. Out of those 3 probably Hull to go straight back down Ipswich too I wager Probably Coventry as well, unless they go full Sunderland Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vytis33 1,408 Posted May 24 Share Posted May 24 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Laylabelle 9,754 Posted May 24 Share Posted May 24 Bruno has set a new assist in a season record. Mad we were above anf finished 19 below..mind you finishing 10th...thats something else too! Thought 8th.. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vesper 31,180 Posted May 24 Share Posted May 24 40 minutes ago, Laylabelle said: Bruno has set a new assist in a season record. Mad we were above anf finished 19 below..mind you finishing 10th...thats something else too! Thought 8th.. I am so glad we are not back in the Conference League. I really wanted EL though (of course the Champions League was the main goal). The Conference League is a death trap for trying to do great in the EPL and the 2 domestic English cups. Shit teams with shit 'injury trap' pitches plus insane travel distances at times. We already won it, so I do not give a flying fuckall about it ever again. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Laylabelle 9,754 Posted May 24 Share Posted May 24 17 minutes ago, Vesper said: I am so glad we are not back in the Conference League. I really wanted EL though (of course the Champions League was the main goal). The Conference League is a death trap for trying to do great in the EPL and the 2 domestic English cups. Shit teams with shit 'injury trap' pitches plus insane travel distances at times. We already won it, so I do not give a flying fuckall about it ever again. Not saying its a bad thing we are not..but literally going from competing for 4th..to9 possibly 5th..to 6th then 10th 🤣 its crap how far we've fallen... Let's hope next season they can do better...and not be a sign of seasons to come.. Vesper 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vesper 31,180 Posted May 24 Share Posted May 24 7 minutes ago, Laylabelle said: Not saying its a bad thing we are not..but literally going from competing for 4th..to9 possibly 5th..to 6th then 10th 🤣 its crap how far we've fallen... Let's hope next season they can do better...and not be a sign of seasons to come.. I want to do at least as well as Manure did with no Europe. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vesper 31,180 Posted May 24 Share Posted May 24 1 hour ago, Laylabelle said: Bruno has set a new assist in a season record. Bruno ended up with 21 league assists and was trying SO hard (passing up open shots, plus the team all about setting him up, etc) in the last 3, 4 games. Kevin De Bruyne, with his 20 league assists in 2019/20, played almost 300 LESS league minutes and was not trying to game it. Advantage KDB Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Laylabelle 9,754 Posted May 25 Share Posted May 25 10 hours ago, Vesper said: I want to do at least as well as Manure did with no Europe. Exactly..lets hope we do cause if not then where do we go from there .. Least its finally over! Let's hope Saturday isnt the unwelcome finale but get the feeling it will be Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vesper 31,180 Posted May 26 Share Posted May 26 Re-ranking all 189 Premier League transfers this season — from worst to best https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/7298037/2026/05/26/premier-league-transfers-ranked-season/ What would you do with £3.4billion? You could buy a very small country, perhaps? Maybe your own private jet? Or just a couple of same-day train tickets from London to Manchester? If you’ve really lost the plot, you could buy 185 people and get them to run around a field for 90 minutes every few days. Yes, the 2025-26 Premier League’s transfer windows featured a lot of gluttonous waste — and, amid the madness, some bargain buys too. After the great success of our earlier transfer rankings this season, particularly judging by the comments section in which you heartily and warmly commended our efforts, we thought we’d combine the summer and winter windows to rank every single signing in 2025-26 from worst to best. Some housekeeping; this is not a list compiled purely in order of how talented these players are or how good they could be in the future… it’s a weighted power ranking based on how impactful each individual has been for his new club this season, relative to expectations and cost. For example, if you were signed for free as a fourth-choice centre-back but ended up starring in midfield as your team won a European final, you’ll do well (hello, Victor Lindelof), but if you selfishly went on strike to force an astonishingly expensive move and ended up barely scoring a goal, you’ll do badly (Yoane. Alexander. Maybe you should go and read something else). Players who were loaned out for the season or went straight into youth setups have been disregarded, while if you’re wondering why 185 players were bought/loaned and there are 189 entries on our list, it’s because some agents were good/greedy enough to move a player twice this season (and got paid both times). And sure, it’s a long article, but if you’re a Wolverhampton Wanderers fan, you won’t have to scroll too far. Sunderland, Manchester United and Leeds United supporters — keep going. Right, to the rankings. And please remember, it’s just for fun! 189. Harvey Elliott, Liverpool to Aston Villa Transfer fee: Loan Contract length: One year First impressions: Considered by many to be worth more than the fringe role he was given at Liverpool last season, it’s now time for Elliott to step up. Verdict: A catastrophic deal for both clubs and the player. Villa have had a great season but if Unai Emery was their brain and John McGinn was their heart, Elliott was their appendix. Made just three starts, Emery clearly just wasn’t having him and negotiations to either cut the loan short in January or remove the obligation-to-buy clause (due to be triggered after 10 appearances; he made his ninth in March) in February so he could play during an injury crisis both failed. Shambolic, especially given how talented the 23-year-old attacking midfielder is. Elliott with the Europa League trophy on Wednesday night. He played 101 minutes of Villa’s 15-match European campaignIsmael Adnan/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images 188. Armando Broja, Chelsea to Burnley Reported transfer fee: £20million (with add-ons) Contract length: Five years First impressions: It’s pretty hard to make a case for Broja being the striker to fire promoted Burnley to top-flight safety, given his record in the past three completed seasons for Chelsea and during loans to Everton and Fulham is three goals in 58 appearances. That’s not a typo. Verdict: Given the fee involved, he should probably be at the bottom of the list, but let’s be honest, expectations were low. Three goals in 58 appearances has become four in 84. If you’re Coventry, Ipswich or Hull, don’t even think about it. 187. Jhon Arias, Fluminense to Wolverhampton Wanderers The Athletic’s reported transfer fee: £19million (with add-ons) Contract length: Four years First impressions: John to his mates. On his day, an exciting, game-changing forward, albeit one who won’t fill the departed Matheus Cunha’s boots in terms of end-product. Verdict: The standard-bearer for both Wolves’ humiliating season and their pitiful recruitment last summer. One goal and no assists from the Colombian’s 23 league appearances, and he was sold back to Brazilian football with Palmeiras in February (somehow for a profit), never to be spoken of again. 186. Marc Guiu, Chelsea to Sunderland Transfer fee: Loan Contract length: One year First impressions: It was good while it lasted… Guiu was recalled to the mothership after just over three weeks due to Liam Delap’s injury. Thanks for the memories. Verdict: After it initially looked like his recall was a waste of time for everyone involved, Guiu played 13 times for Chelsea during the season, even scoring against Ajax in the Champions League. Guiu celebrates his goal against AjaxDarren Walsh/Chelsea FC via Getty Images 185. Cuiabano, Botafogo to Nottingham Forest Reported transfer fee: £5million Contract length: Four years First impressions: An attacking 22-year-old left-back who adds to Forest’s Brazilian cohort. Verdict: Whoiabano? Didn’t get to play for Forest, as he was immediately loaned back to Botafogo. Was then loaned to their fellow Brazilians Vasco da Gama in February. 184. Jonah Kusi-Asare, Bayern Munich to Fulham Transfer fee: Loan Contract Length: One year First impressions: Hailed as the next Swedish wonderkid when he moved to Bayern from Stockholm’s AIK; 6ft 5in (195cm) striker Kusi-Asare has not made it onto the pitch yet despite a striker crisis at Fulham. Verdict: Just 49 minutes in the Premier League all season for the 18-year-old in what feels like a waste of everyone’s time, unless Kusi-Asare just fancied a gap year in London. In which case: well done, everyone. 183. Yoane Wissa, Brentford to Newcastle United Reported transfer fee: £55million (with add-ons) Reported contract length: Four years First impressions: Was Wissa really worth the hassle and the dough? He probably doesn’t even get in Newcastle’s best XI, however he is a good addition to their forward options in a busy European season. Verdict: Disastrous debut year on Tyneside, ruined by injury and a lack of pre-season. He has never looked fit and has started just one of Newcastle’s last 22 games in all competitions. A £55million deadline-day panic buy which simply hasn’t worked. At least he got Jean-Philippe Mateta’s shirt in a swap after a one-minute substitute appearance against Crystal Palace last month. Serena Taylor/Newcastle United via Getty Images 182. Antoni Milambo, Feyenoord to Brentford Reported fee: £20.25million (with add-ons) Contract length: Five years First impressions: The 20-year-old driving, attacking midfielder should fit in well in the Premier League with his pace, physicality and creativity. Verdict: Hooked at half-time on his Premier League debut with Brentford 3-0 down away to Nottingham Forest, then tore an anterior cruciate (ACL) knee ligament in October and remains sidelined. 181. Kota Takai, Kawasaki Frontale to Tottenham Hotspur The Athletic’s reported transfer fee: £5million First impressions: Promising 6ft 4in (193cm) Japanese centre-back whose fee is a record for a homegrown player leaving the J-League. The 20-year-old is currently around Spurs’ first-team squad, covering for long-term injury absentee Radu Dragusin, but will likely head out on loan before long. Verdict: No appearances for Spurs yet. Was indeed loaned out, to Borussia Monchengladbach, in January for some decent experience, and played eight times for them in the Bundesliga. 180. Marcus Bettinelli, Chelsea to Manchester City The Athletic’s reported transfer fee: Nominal Contract length: One year First impressions: A ceremonial position that could be filled by the Honey Monster if required. Verdict: Predictably, no appearances for the now 34-year-old Scott Carson regen, who swapped Chelsea for City in the position of homegrown box-ticker and benchwarmer. He was among the substitutes for all but one of their Champions League games and a few domestic ones. 179. Tom King, Wolves to Everton The Athletic’s reported transfer fee: Nominal Contract length: Two years First impressions: King of putting the cones out, right? Warmed the bench for two Carabao Cup games, but Everton are out of that competition now. Training standards: unknown. Verdict: With Jordan Pickford playing every week, and even in the FA Cup too, the job of Everton’s third-choice goalkeeper is essentially a full-time morale-booster role. 178. Fraser Forster, unattached to Bournemouth Transfer fee: Free Contract length: End of the season First impressions: An injury to Will Dennis (yeah, y’know, Will Dennis?) pushed Bournemouth into the cheap-and-available-and-bored goalkeeper market. Enter Forster, who’ll enjoy the beaches down there. Verdict: There are worse places to be enjoying the hot weather right now. Fair play. Vince Mignott/MB Media/Getty Images 177. Angus Gunn, Norwich City to Forest Transfer fee: Free Contract length: One year First impressions: Championship-standard goalkeeper moves to Premier League club for a nice payday as a non-playing third-choice. Great to have around the dressing room, etc. Very much the No 3 behind Matz Sels and John Victor. Verdict: Exactly as above. Got 45 minutes off the bench against Palace in February after Sels was injured. Otherwise, not allowed to play. 176. Jocelin Ta Bi, Maccabi Netanya to Sunderland Transfer fee: Undisclosed Contract length: Four and a half years First impressions: Sunderland’s scouting network apparently extends to finding a 20-year-old Ivorian winger who was on loan at Hapoel Petah Tikva from fellow Israeli side Maccabi Netanya. Expect their next signing to be discovered on one of Saturn’s lesser-known moons. To be completely frank, we don’t know much about Ta Bi. Verdict: We still don’t know much about him. One league appearance, during which he suffered a season-ending ankle injury. 175. Igor Julio, Brighton & Hove Albion to West Ham United Transfer fee: Loan Contract length: One year First impressions: Surplus to requirements at Brighton but fills a need at West Ham to replace the departing Nayef Aguerd. The 27-year-old is a strength-in-depth signing if ever there was one. Verdict: Turns out he wasn’t even strength in depth, as Julio barely played at West Ham before being recalled by Brighton in January and didn’t make an appearance for them either. 174. Keiber Lamadrid, Deportivo La Guaira to West Ham United Transfer fee: Loan Contract length: End of the season First impressions: The 22-year-old Venezuelan winger is West Ham’s pre-subscription app download for the month, in what looks like an extended trial before a potential purchase in the summer. Don’t forget to hit cancel if he’s no good. Verdict: Only played once in an FA Cup tie at Burton Albion and looked a little out of his depth, which didn’t really bode well. 173. Reiss Nelson, Arsenal to Brentford Transfer fee: Loan Contract length: One year First impressions: It still feels like Nelson is a youngster, but he’s 26 in December and, after a bit-part role at Fulham on loan last season (two goals and an assist in 572 minutes of game time), it’s now-or-never time to really make an impact in the Premier League. Verdict: A low-risk addition on loan, but this didn’t work out at all. Just 118 minutes of football in the Premier League across 10 appearances, all off the bench, and struggled with his fitness. Jacques Feeney/Offside/Offside via Getty Images 172. Alexander Isak, Newcastle to Liverpool The Athletic’s reported transfer fee: £125million Reported contract length: Six years First impressions: Isak could very well become the best striker in the world now he’s at Anfield. With no pre-season to speak of, it’s only now that he is getting up to speed, fitness-wise. Impossible to judge him properly before then. Verdict: Played catch-up with his fitness for months after the aforementioned missing of pre-season which was, of course, entirely of his own making. Injuries were then a problem, and he scored only three league goals. Given the fee, the talent and the palaver in getting him to Anfield, it’s hard to imagine Isak’s debut season going any worse. 171. Facundo Buonanotte, Brighton to Leeds United Transfer fee: Loan Contract length: End of the season First impressions: One of the strangest deals of 2025-26 moves into a more orthodox space, with Buonanotte swapping Stamford Bridge — where he spent the first half of the season on loan — for Elland Road. Verdict: A total failure for all concerned. Flopped in his one start (among three total appearances) at Birmingham City in the FA Cup and was hooked at half-time. Had he moved to Leeds in August, when they also wanted him, you wonder how much better things could have been. 170. Ben Gannon-Doak, Liverpool to Bournemouth The Athletic’s reported transfer fee: £25million Contract length: Five years First impressions: Given how raw and unproven he is at the top level, this is a bit of a gamble. Verdict: A great season for Bournemouth as a club, but Gannon-Doak frustratingly played almost no part in it, missing the winter months with a hamstring injury that required surgery. The 20-year-old has only played 105 minutes in the league, all off the bench, but did recover in time to make Scotland’s World Cup squad. 169. Quilindschy Hartman, Feyenoord to Burnley Reported transfer fee: £10million (with add-ons) Contract length: Four years First impressions: Feels like a real coup for Burnley to sign the 23-year-old Netherlands international left-back, who is eyeing a World Cup spot next summer. Verdict: Started well with four assists in nine games but tailed off badly, culminating in a dreadful performance against Fulham in December, after which he was no more than an unused substitute for three months. Lower down our list because expectations were pretty high. And no, he’s not going to the World Cup. 168. Kaye Furo, Club Brugge to Brentford Reported transfer fee: £8m Contract length: Five and a half years First impressions: Intriguing Belgium Under-21 international striker with an exceptional name which makes him sound like an up-and-coming welterweight. The 18-year-old broke into the Club Brugge squad this season. “I have no doubt he will be a big player for us,” Keith Andrews said of the 6ft 3in man, which you can’t really quibble with. Verdict: Only one appearance in the league, off the bench late on against West Ham this month, since joining in January. The proverbial one for the future. 167. Lorenzo Lucca, Napoli to Forest Transfer fee: Loan Contract length: End of the season First impressions: Will tower over his new team-mates and indeed the entire city of Nottingham at 6ft 7in, but is Lucca any good, having only scored once in the league for Napoli this season? Verdict: Nope. Absolutely dreadful. 166. Mark Travers, Bournemouth to Everton Reported transfer fee: £4million Contract length: Four years First impressions: The 26-year-old isn’t going to usurp England’s No 1 Jordan Pickford. Standard No 2 goalkeeper stuff. Verdict: Two Carabao Cup appearances formed the entirety of his on-pitch season, a 2-0 home win against Mansfield Town and a 2-0 defeat at Wolves. Had a great view of the new stadium, though. 165. Oleksandr Zinchenko, Arsenal to Forest Transfer fee: Loan Contract length: One year First impressions: The 28-year-old Ukrainian was left out of Forest’s squad for the league phase of the Europa League two days after signing. His two Premier League appearances were starts against Burnley and Sunderland and, well, he didn’t impress. Verdict: It’s actually quite a feat to fail to impress three managers in half a season. His Forest loan was cut short and he got shipped off to Ajax for a small fee at the end of the winter window. 164. Jackson Tchatchoua, Verona to Wolves Reported transfer fee: £10.8million Contract length: Five years First impressions: Replaces outgoing captain Nelson Semedo at right wing-back. That’s a downgrade in theory, but Tchatchoua does offer breathtaking pace; albeit he is very raw. Verdict: Given the 24-year-old’s incredible speed (the fastest player in Serie A last season) and his incredible lack of basic football ability, you had to seriously question whether he picked the right sport. 163. Christantus Uche, Getafe to Palace Transfer fee: Loan Contract length: One year First impressions: Interesting player with an impressive recent history. Getafe converted Uche from a defensive midfielder into a forward. One of the more intriguing signings of the summer. Verdict: Only 159 minutes in the league (spread across 14 substitute appearances, no starts) and not seen on the pitch since March. Really disappointing. 162. Adam Aznou, Bayern to Everton The Athletic’s reported transfer fee: £7.8m Contract length: Four years First impressions: Attack-minded, ball-carrying Moroccan teenage left-back. He’s only just turned 19, so is likely to be one for the future. Verdict: Looked really promising from the bench against Sunderland in the FA Cup in January but then was not used again, with zero minutes in the league. Some good qualities, but not yet ready physically for English football. 161. Borna Sosa, Ajax to Crystal Palace The Athletic’s reported transfer fee: £2million Contract length: Three years First impressions: Career has flatlined after being earmarked as a future star at Stuttgart. An excellent crosser of the ball, though, so every cloud… Verdict: He was very cheap, so perhaps not much should have been expected of the Croatia international wing-back. In that, he’s absolutely delivered. A daft red card in the UEFA Conference League and not a lot else. 160. Christos Mandas, Lazio to Bournemouth Transfer fee: Loan Contract length: End of the season First impressions: Twice-capped Greece international goalkeeper. Wasn’t playing at Lazio and presumably won’t play much at Bournemouth either. Verdict: As expected, no minutes since arriving in January. Grateful to be living in an era when substitute ‘benches’ are actually posh and comfy chairs with armrests. 159. Liam Delap, Ipswich Town to Chelsea Transfer fee: £30million Contract length: Six years First impressions: It’s a big step up in level, but the 22-year-old appears to have the attributes and attitude to make it. Verdict: Injury derailed the first half of his season, which isn’t his fault, but Delap has been dreadful. No goals in his last 26 appearances and, while he can hold the ball up well, goals are sort of the entire point for a No 9. 158. James Ward-Prowse, West Ham to Burnley Transfer fee: Loan Contract length: End of the season First impressions: The only West Ham player hoping for relegation and therefore a new manager. The reasons behind Nuno Espirito Santo’s exiling of Ward-Prowse remain unclear (did the midfielder say he doesn’t rate the chicken wings at Nando’s? Did he tickle Nuno’s beard and call him daddy?). Burnley are the beneficiaries. Verdict: Not much of an impact, but in a dreadful Burnley team, that wasn’t a surprise. 157. Brennan Johnson, Tottenham to Palace The Athletic’s reported transfer fee: £35m Contract length: Four and a half years First impressions: Fee feels steep given that he didn’t kick on at Spurs at all, albeit he’s still only 24. A decent addition to Palace’s dwindling squad if he can rediscover his confidence and rhythm. If. Verdict: Narrator: “Johnson did not rediscover his confidence and rhythm.” Henry Nicholls/AFP via Getty Images 156. Jamie Gittens, Borussia Dortmund to Chelsea The Athletic’s reported transfer fee: £52million (with add-ons) Contract length: Seven years First impressions: Gittens is hugely talented, but not the finished product, and it’s difficult to envisage him becoming that at a club like Chelsea. Verdict: Injured since January and had struggled to make an impact before that. You can see there’s a great, technical talent there, but he didn’t adapt to Premier League physicality and his confidence looked shot. The fee was remarkable, and you could see this coming a mile off. 155. Alex Toth, Ferencvaros to Bournemouth Reported transfer fee: £10.4m Contract length: Five and a half years First impressions: Comes highly rated, received a Golden Boy nomination last year and is a tall, silky, roaming midfielder who ticks plenty of ‘another Bournemouth unearthed gem’ boxes. Brought manager Robbie Keane to tears when he left Ferencvaros. Verdict: Just 137 Premier League minutes from two starts and seven substitute appearances. Unlikely to have brought Andoni Iraola to tears, unless he’s really good at emotional goodbyes. 154. Angel Gomes, Marseille to Wolves Transfer fee: Loan Contract length: End of the season First impressions: One minute, you’re earning four caps in three months for England, the next you’re signing for one of the worst Premier League teams in history, who are almost certainly relegated. Verdict: Sure, it was low risk, but the fact Gomes struggled to break into such a cataclysmically poor team tells you this move just didn’t work for him, Marseille or Wolves. 153. Randal Kolo Muani, Paris Saint-Germain to Tottenham Transfer fee: Loan Contract: One year First impressions: Bit of a statement signing. So quick, so dangerous in the final third, and surely so motivated to revive his career in a World Cup year. Nicely done. Verdict: Where do you start with this one? Presumably by skewing a rare shot wide of the post if you’re Kolo Muani, who had just 20 attempts at goal in 30 Premier League appearances and scored once. Only there on loan, but a huge disappointment. 152. Douglas Luiz, Juventus to Forest Transfer fee: Loan Contract length: One year First impressions: A player Forest could only dream of signing a couple of years ago. If he shows his old Villa form… sheesh. Still only 27, too. Verdict: A half-season dominated by injury issues before his loan was cut short and he was instead borrowed by former club Aston Villa (more on that later). Looked broken. Oli Scarff/AFP via Getty Images 151. Loum Tchaouna, Lazio to Burnley Reported transfer fee: £12.9million Contract length: Five years First impressions: A 21-year-old winger/forward who has played for France at five youth levels. He does have pace, but this is a real punt. An encouraging start but his quality is still in question. Verdict: The whistles and jeers which followed his flunked 12-yard shot against Mansfield when 1-0 up in the FA Cup (Burnley lost 2-1 to their League One opponents) summed up Tchaouna’s season. 150. Nilson Angulo, Anderlecht to Sunderland Reported transfer fee: £17.5m Contract length: Four and a half years First impressions: Ecuador international winger who replaces the departing Simon Adingra in the squad. Quick, creative and exciting, Angulo was arguably Anderlecht’s best player this season, with six goals and seven assists. Verdict: The 22-year-old’s progress has been hampered by injury since arriving in February, but he clearly has potential. 149. Simon Adingra, Brighton to Sunderland The Athletic’s reported transfer fee: £20.7million (with add-ons) Contract length: Five years First impressions: Only five assists and 12 goals in 73 appearances for Brighton leave a question mark over his end-product, as does their willingness to let him leave relatively cheaply. Verdict: Well, you can see why Brighton were happy to let him go. The 24-year-old comes with talent and skill, but not the ability to take control of matches. Went to Monaco on loan in February and has done alright there. 148. Alysson, Gremio to Villa The Athletic’s reported transfer fee: £10.5m The Athletic’s reported contract length: Five and a half years First impressions: The number of Brazilian footballers with the same name as your auntie has doubled with the arrival of the Premier League’s second Alysson. The 19-year-old pacey Brazilian winger is a raw talent. Verdict: Just three sub appearances since joining in January, showed he had something with some direct wing-play but hard to form strong opinions yet. 147. Tommy Watson, Sunderland to Brighton The Athletic’s reported transfer fee: £10million (with add-ons) Contract length: Four years First impressions: A 19-year-old with the world at his feet, with those feet being located at the end of a lanky, gangly, dribbling maestro. Three assists in one Carabao Cup match against Barnsley showed his tremendous potential. Verdict: Hampered by a series of frustrating injuries and was sent out on loan to Millwall in the Championship, where he only started twice. Will look to reset for his second season with Brighton. 146. Tolu Arokodare, Genk to Wolves The Athletic’s reported transfer fee: £23.4million (with add-ons) Contract length: Four years First impressions: The Belgian league’s Golden Boot winner (don’t be too impressed by that, seeing as Deniz Undav and Paul Onuachu are two of his predecessors) is aged 24 and, at 6ft 5in (197cm), a likely backup for Jorgen Strand Larsen. Verdict: Wolves’ joint-top scorer in the league with (don’t laugh) three goals. He missed the entire ball so often from crosses that you questioned whether he needed more training or a trip to Specsavers. Joins Undav and Onuachu in the Hall of Shame. Premier League clubs, you have been warned: do not buy Nicolo Tresoldi from Club Brugge. 145. Fer Lopez, Celta Vigo to Wolves Reported transfer fee: £21.3million (with add-ons) Contract length: Five years First impressions: Wolves have taken a bit of a gamble on the inexperienced 21-year-old attacking midfielder – could be incredible, could be a flop. Verdict: Not exactly a flop, but it became abundantly clear the gifted but slight Lopez wasn’t ready for the Premier League. Loaned back to Celta for the rest of the season in January. 144. Tyler Dibling, Southampton to Everton The Athletic’s reported transfer fee: £40million (with add-ons) Contract length: Four years First impressions: A ball-carrying magician. Elegance personified in the way he saunters upfield and past defenders, although he is only 19 and his all-round game (including his end-product) needs a lot of work. Verdict: That is a big fee for Everton and Dibling has barely featured, even when Jack Grealish was injured, and he fell behind Chelsea loanee Tyrique George in the pecking order. When manager David Moyes told him to “pull his finger out”, you knew it wasn’t going well. 143. Giovanni Leoni, Parma to Liverpool The Athletic’s reported transfer fee: £26million Reported contract length: Six years First impressions: Still a kid at 18, but this centre-back is already a giant at 6ft 4in (193cm). Suffered a devastating anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) knee injury on his debut in the Carabao Cup against Southampton. May not be seen again this season. Verdict: May well be a great addition in the long-term, but for now, his focus is on recovering. 142. Veljko Milosavljevic, Crvena Zvezda to Bournemouth Reported transfer fee: £13million Contract length: Five years First impressions: It’s hard to think of anything more 2025 than Bournemouth having £13m to spend on an 18-year-old centre-back who’s only played 17 top-flight matches in Serbia. Verdict: We all know how well he’s done, so there’s almost no point repeating it. Oh, go on then… Milosavljevic made the odd appearance, clearly has a lot to learn and ended the season out of the squad. 141. Jacob Bruun Larsen, Stuttgart to Burnley Reported transfer fee: £3million Contract length: Four years First impressions: Jacob Bruun Larsen is back, everybody! Remember? A cheap, utility, attacking squad player. In and out of the side, workmanlike displays, what you see is what you get. Verdict: Absolutely classic Burnley. No lack of effort, but the quality just wasn’t there. No goals and one assist in 27 league appearances tells the story. 140. Arthur Masuaku, Besiktas to Sunderland Transfer fee: Free Contract length: Two years First impressions: Former West Ham man Masuaku is expected to deputise for fellow newcomer Reinildo Mandava. A bit of a ‘body through the door’, but a necessary one. Verdict: A rare thing in that he was a Sunderland signing who didn’t make an impact, but he also wasn’t expected to. Played a bit as backup left-back and was then loaned to Lens in January to do the same job in Ligue 1. 139. Marcus Edwards, Sporting CP to Burnley Reported transfer fee: £8.5million Contract length: Four years First impressions: His levels have dropped since he first made waves at Sporting. Did alright in the Championship (on loan to Burnley) last season but physicality is an issue. Verdict: Had a good few weeks either side of Christmas but was otherwise used pretty sparingly, with only 11 league starts. Dan Istitene/Getty Images 138. Souza, Santos to Tottenham Reported transfer fee: £13m Contract length: “Long-term” First impressions: The latest Premier League addition to call his move a childhood dream (he can’t have watched too much of Tottenham lately), 19-year-old Souza is the back-up left-back Spurs have needed for a while. He’s pretty fresh, but also pretty fast and skilful. Verdict: Four substitute appearances and, this being Spurs, three different positions played. Perhaps one for next season. 137. Dario Essugo, Sporting to Chelsea The Athletic’s reported transfer fee: £18.5million Contract length: Eight years First impressions: A 20-year-old defensive midfielder who will likely provide backup to Moises Caicedo for the time being, but yet to feature having had surgery on a thigh injury. Verdict: Eventually made his debut in March. Nobody expected Essugo to play a major role — he is very much one for the future — but looked decent when he came on a handful of times. Perhaps next year. Or perhaps he’ll be loaned to Strasbourg. 136. Anthony Elanga, Forest to Newcastle The Athletic’s reported transfer fee: £55million (with add-ons) Contract length: Five years First impressions: How much?! But, fine, it’s hard to see how this won’t be a good addition, given Elanga’s rapid improvement at Forest in the past two years. Verdict: Well, it couldn’t have gone much worse. Didn’t score in the league in 32 appearances, failed to make a meaningful impression and ended the season out of the side. Did join Kylian Mbappe and Ferenc Puskas as one of only three players to score a European Cup knockout-phase brace against Barcelona at Camp Nou, which bumps him up the list a bit. Just don’t mention the result that night. 135. Bashir Humphreys, Chelsea to Burnley Reported transfer fee: £14.7million (with add-ons) Contract length: Four years First impressions: Nice to see an old-school surname back in the top flight. A centre-back who can also play at left wing-back, he’s a solid addition to the squad. Verdict: Injured for a while, broke into the side after Christmas but, like Burnley (and, to be fair, not helped by the players around him), just not quite at the required Premier League standard this season. 134. Evann Guessand, Nice to Villa The Athletic’s reported transfer fee: £30.4million (with add-ons) Reported contract length: Five years First impressions: Definitely got something about him, but it’s not clear yet what he is in terms of a player profile. Verdict: Hmmm. No goal contributions in 13 Premier League appearances, added nothing to Villa’s attack, and was sent on loan to Palace in January as punishment. 133. Alejandro Garnacho, Manchester United to Chelsea The Athletic’s reported transfer fee: £40million The Athletic’s reported contract length: Seven years First impressions: Are Chelsea getting the player who could and should evolve into a global star? Or is this Jadon Sancho 2.0? The jury is out. Verdict: The jury has returned its verdict, and it’s a unanimous decision; guilty of being an ineffective show-pony. The whole point of signing Garnacho was he could hit the ground running owing to his Premier League experience with United, but it never happened. Only one league goal in 28 appearances. Very underwhelming, and already unpopular at Stamford Bridge. Alex Pantling/Getty Images 132. Sebastiaan Bornauw, Wolfsburg to Leeds The Athletic’s reported transfer fee: £5.2million Contract length: Four years First impressions: Belgian big boy Bornauw (6ft 3in/191cm) comes via a cheap fee. Very likely to just be a squad player. Verdict: As a cheap backup, he was fine. Evidently a limited footballer, but that’s what Leeds paid for and used him as. Headed it, booted it. 131. John Victor, Botafogo to Forest Transfer fee: Undisclosed Contract length: Three years First impressions: Aged 29, but spent most of his career on the bench before Botafogo gave him his big chance two years ago; however, it’ll be back to a watching brief for now behind Matz Sels. Verdict: Briefly overtook Sels as Forest’s No 1 and showed a few attributes before a bad injury, which required surgery, ended his season in January. 130. Axel Tuanzebe, Ipswich to Burnley Transfer fee: Free Reported contract length: One year First impressions: A cheap, versatile squad player. Will hope to avoid a second successive relegation from the Premier League. A cheap, versatile squad player. Verdict: Narrator: “He did not avoid…” — well, you get the idea with that. Injuries and playing for DR Congo at the Africa Cup of Nations restricted him to 14 league appearances, in which he did fine. 129. Diego Coppola, Verona to Brighton The Athletic’s reported transfer fee: £9.4million Contract length: Five years First impressions: A towering aerial presence who broke into the Italy squad last season. Strong, physical, athletic and pretty quick, too, but only 21, so will need time. Verdict: A few fleeting glimpses but remained behind Lewis Dunk and Jan Paul van Hecke in the pecking order and spent the second half of the season on loan in Ligue 1 with Paris FC, where he was a regular and helped drag them out of relegation trouble. More to come from him, you’d think. 128. David Moller Wolfe, AZ to Wolves The Athletic’s reported transfer fee: £9.9million Contract length: Five years First impressions: Replaces Rayan Ait-Nouri in the team after his move to Manchester City. The 6ft 1in (185cm) Norway left-back has looked out of his depth, though. Verdict: Wasn’t bad defensively, but found wanting going forward and mostly played second fiddle to Hugo Bueno. With a name like that, he really should have been a better fit for Wolves. 127. Douglas Luiz, Juventus to Villa Transfer fee: Loan Contract length: End of the season First impressions: Hard to fault anything about this deal. Villa have an injury crisis in midfield, and their former player perfectly fills the gap temporarily vacated by Youri Tielemans. Verdict: A massive let-down for not one but two Premier League clubs this season. Looked great for 60 minutes on his second Villa debut in February, but has been dreadful for them ever since. Fell behind youngster Lamare Bogarde and moonlighting defender Victor Lindelof in the midfield pecking order. His £21million option fee will not be triggered. 126. Jadon Sancho, Manchester United to Villa Transfer fee: Loan Contract length: One year First impressions: Did anything scream ‘deadline-day panic’ more than Villa getting Sancho through the door on Monday? And they’re paying 80 per cent of his £12million annual salary. Oh, Villa. Verdict: Flashes of brilliance, and a second straight European trophy after Conference League glory on loan at Chelsea a year ago, but generally underwhelming. Villa’s then sporting director Monchi reportedly attempting a straight swap of him for goalkeeper Emi Martinez last summer is a sacking offence (perhaps literally). Moves slightly up the list for having rejected the permanent move which would have sealed that deal. Ozan Kose/AFP via Getty Images 125. Benjamin Lecomte, Montpellier to Fulham Reported transfer fee: £500,000 Contract length: Two years First impressions: French goalkeeper who arrives in the Premier League aged 34, and with 329 Ligue 1 appearances to his name, to be Bernd Leno’s backup and, it seems, to play in the cups. Verdict: Seven decent cup appearances and he felt like a good addition and an upgrade, like many of the No 2 goalkeepers signed by Premier League clubs last summer. 124. Max Weiss, Karlsruher to Burnley Reported transfer fee: £4.3m Contract length: Four years First impressions: An ever-present for a mid-table side in the German second division last season, 21-year-old Weiss offers a cheap, developing backup goalkeeper option at Turf Moor. Verdict: Replaced Martin Dubravka at the end of the season as already-relegated Burnley looked to the future. Only conceded once at Arsenal last week and coped well, before making some fine saves on the final day against Wolves. Promising. 123. Oscar Bobb, Manchester City to Fulham The Athletic’s reported transfer fee: £27m Contract length: Five and a half years First impressions: Still playing his way back to his former self after injury, but this is potentially an outstanding signing for Fulham for a bargain price. The 22-year-old Norway international forward feels like a good fit and his name sounds like a silent movie star from the 1920s. Verdict: Played Fulham’s final 14 league games in a row but failed to provide a goal or assist. Did often play on the left, with Harry Wilson occupying his favoured position on the right, but this was a very uneventful start that Fulham will hope proves to be a transition period. 122. Adam Armstrong, Southampton to Wolves The Athletic’s reported transfer fee: £7m Contract length: Three and a half years First impressions: The only thing that could scream ‘Getting ready for the Championship’ more than this would be if Wolves started wearing the EFL logo on their sleeves and the groundsman painted ‘We’re getting ready for the Championship’ on the pitch. Verdict: One well-taken goal at Brentford and worked incredibly hard, but otherwise a thankless task as a lone striker ahead of a midfield with less creativity than the owners of a new brand pub called The Red Lion. Basically kept his fitness up ahead of next season’s Championship campaign, which he’ll be far more suited for. 121. Christian Norgaard, Brentford to Arsenal The Athletic’s reported transfer fee: £12million (with add-ons) The Athletic’s reported contract length: Two years First impressions: A vital cog in Brentford’s wheel but unlikely to have the same impact at a much higher level with Arsenal, particularly given his likely lack of rhythm when he does get a game as a result of being mostly a backup. Verdict: Not a bad signing but what did he do? With 13 cup and European appearances, he only played when he really had to. Just 56 minutes in the Premier League before he was finally handed a start on the final day at Palace… and subbed off at half-time. Pau Barrena/Getty Images 120. Nicolo Savona, Juventus to Forest The Athletic’s reported transfer fee: £12million Contract length: Five years First impressions: Lofty (6ft 2in/192cm) Juventus academy graduate who broke into the first team there last year, starting 29 games in all competitions and earning an Italy call-up. Verdict: After you’ve been labelled as “Carl Jenkinson reincarnated” on social media, it’s difficult to know where you go from there, but Savona was decent (if limited) before a knee injury ended his season in February. 119. Jeremie Frimpong, Bayer Leverkusen to Liverpool The Athletic’s reported transfer fee: £29.6million The Athletic’s reported contract length: Five years First impressions: Fast, fast and fast. Frimpong’s pace covers a multitude of defensive sins, and he’s a big asset in attack. Low price and good age (24), but may need to rein in his instincts at times. Verdict: A season of transition? Like with their team overall, Liverpool fans will hope so. A really disappointing, injury-hit season. 118. Kepa Arrizabalaga, Chelsea to Arsenal The Athletic’s reported transfer fee: £5million Contract length: Three years First impressions: An upgrade on their previous backup goalkeepers Neto and Aaron Ramsdale, albeit he’s unlikely to challenge David Raya too strenuously for the No 1 spot. Verdict: As above, but his season (as well as what seems like much of his English football career) was dominated by the Kepa Carabao Cup, where he was the hero against Palace in a quarter-final penalty shootout but then cost Arsenal the final against Manchester City when dropping a cross. Julian Finney/Getty Images 117. Florentino Luis, Benfica to Burnley Transfer fee: Loan Contract length: One year First impressions: Only one Primeira Liga midfielder produced more tackles and interceptions combined than his 134 last season. A defensive midfielder’s defensive midfielder. Verdict: Initially did pretty well in a struggling side but, like the Burnley team, petered out. Overall, he didn’t live up to his reputation. 116. Adama Traore, Fulham to West Ham Reported transfer fee: £2m (including add-ons) Reported contract length: End of the season First impressions: They said you never know what you’re going to get with the unpredictable Adama Traore. Unless, of course, you mean ridiculous pace, insane power and pitiful levels of end product. Verdict: A low-risk deal which has worked out exactly as expected; Traore sporadically made an excitable nuisance of himself during 12 appearances off the bench, but provided no goals and only one assist. His career in a nutshell. Only Federico Chiesa (25) has come on as a Premier League substitute more times this season than Traore’s 23 (for Fulham and West Ham combined). 115. Carlos Alcaraz, Flamengo to Everton The Athletic’s reported transfer fee: £12.6million Contract length: Two years First impressions: Certainly did enough on loan at Everton in the second half of last season to suggest that £12.6million is a bargain fee for the 22-year-old Argentinian attacking midfielder. Verdict: Had to wait for injuries and suspensions to get his opportunities, then didn’t really take them. Mainly used as an impact sub. There was a case for seeing more of him, but in general, not a season to remember. 114. Facundo Buonanotte, Brighton to Chelsea Transfer fee: Loan Contract length: One year First impressions: One of those deals you see mooted on social media and have to double-check that it’s not from a parody account. A proper classic, old-school mad Chelsea signing. Verdict: Basically borrowed for half a season from Brighton to try to take some minutes off Cole Palmer’s plate, which he did. Was there a long-term vision for Buonanotte at Chelsea? That he wasn’t named in their Champions League squad initially and then had his loan cut short in January suggests, amazingly, no. Nobody really knew the point of him, and still nobody really does. 113. Jorgen Strand Larsen, Celta Vigo to Wolves The Athletic’s reported transfer fee: £23million Contract length: Four years First impressions: Potentially one of the best-value deals of the summer, given his record of 14 goals while on loan last season. Verdict: Failed to score a non-penalty league goal for Wolves in 1,405 league minutes this season. That would place him near the bottom of this list, but they then somehow sold him to Palace in (checks notes) a more than double-their-money £48million deal on deadline day in February, which renders this a very good financial signing. For Wolves. Jack Thomas/Getty Images 112. Soungoutou Magassa, Monaco to West Ham The Athletic’s reported transfer fee: Around £17.3million Reported contract length: Four years First impressions: French defensive midfielder who started to make a big impact with Monaco last season. Boundless energy and not bad going forward; West Ham have got themselves a player here. Verdict: They certainly have a footballer, but not quite the one they needed in a relegation battle. The 22-year-old is a little too inconsistent for now and not yet ready to run a Premier League midfield. 111. Mamadou Sarr, Strasbourg to Chelsea The Athletic’s reported transfer fee: £11.9million Contract length: Eight years First impressions: After prolonged negotiations between BlueCo and BlueCo, Sarr has moved from one BlueCo club to another BlueCo club and been immediately loaned back from the second BlueCo club to the first BlueCo club. Verdict: Recalled in January to add depth and because Chelsea’s then head coach Liam Rosenior loved him, then Rosenior got the sack. Made a handful of appearances where he looked alright but has not started in two months since being played out of position and asked to mark Kvicha Kvaratskhelia in the Champions League. How did that go? He was hooked at half-time with Chelsea 7-2 behind on aggregate. 110. Lesley Ugochukwu, Chelsea to Burnley Reported transfer fee: Over £20million Contract length: Five years First impressions: That’s big money for Burnley. The 21-year-old France youth international didn’t enjoy his time at Southampton (on loan from Chelsea last season) but is a massive presence in Burnley’s midfield. Verdict: Competitive, aggressive and showed signs he could thrive in the Premier League. Maybe find a better team to join next time, Les. 109. Lucas Perri, Lyon to Leeds The Athletic’s reported transfer fee: £15.6million Contract length: Four years First impressions: Another doorway-frame ducker for Leeds, this 6ft 5in (197cm) Brazilian goalkeeper feels like an upgrade on Illan Meslier after a decent 2024-25 season in Ligue 1, but only time will tell. Verdict: One of the few blots on last summer’s Leeds copybook. One too many poor performances saw him dropped from their league team in January in favour of Karl Darlow. Made amends with some good subsequent FA Cup displays, but for the money paid and the role he was expected to play, has to go down as a disappointment overall. 108. Pablo Felipe, Gil Vicente to West Ham The Athletic’s reported transfer fee: £17.4m Contract length: Four and a half years First impressions: The 22-year-old, who was born in Portugal and raised in Brazil, had been one of the form strikers in the Primeira Liga with 10 goals in 13 matches for high-flying Gil Vicente. On early evidence, West Ham have signed a terrier-like forward, but they’ll want goals too. Verdict: No goals from 14 league appearances since signing in January. Less terrier, more three-legged Golden Retriever. 107. Habib Diarra, Strasbourg to Sunderland Reported transfer fee: £30million Contract length: Five years First impressions: A dynamic, all-action, box-to-box midfielder who has already greatly elevated Sunderland’s midfield and will look to drive forward and score goals. Very talented, and only 21. Started so well, but underwent groin surgery at the end of September. Verdict: Injuries and AFCON got in the way, and yes, there were signs of the player Sunderland thought they were getting, but he was outshone by a number of his team-mates. Next year, though? 106. Samuel Chukwueze, Milan to Fulham Transfer fee: Loan Contract length: One year First impressions: The 26-year-old right-winger is a wait-and-see addition but his quality has been obvious, even from substitute cameos. Verdict: A slow start, then a brilliant burst of two goals (both against Manchester City) and three assists in five games pre-Christmas… but then next to nothing in the second half of the season. 105. Conor Gallagher, Atletico Madrid to Tottenham The Athletic’s reported transfer fee: £34.7m Reported contract length: Five and a half years First impressions: Gallagher is the mobile, long-term No 6 that Spurs have been chasing for some time, and it’s difficult to envisage him not being a success, given the 25-year-old’s character and leadership skills. Just needs to avoid contracting Spurs-itis. Verdict: Asked to play in several positions in a team short on confidence and for three different managers (!), but Gallagher also clearly wasn’t the player he once was and struggled to influence games. His goal at Villa, though, was huge. Richard Heathcote/Getty Images 104. Kyle Walker, Manchester City to Burnley Reported transfer fee: £5million (with add-ons) Contract length: Two years First impressions: A player full of experience in a squad lacking it. Great addition. Tenacious, combative and fully committed to the Burnley cause. Verdict: Seemed like such an excellent signing in the early weeks but the 35-year-old badly tailed off as the season went on. 103. Merlin Rohl, Freiburg to Everton Transfer fee: Loan Contract length: One year First impressions: With a name like that, you’d surely have to be a dinky, creative, wizard-like winger, but Rohl is actually a 6ft 3in (192cm) central midfielder. Injuries would be a concern, but this is a beefing-up-the-squad signing. Verdict: Injured at first but started to force his way in towards the end of the season, however him not playing much for months after being so good in the January win at Villa was a bit strange. Moyes perhaps struggled to fit him into the side. Everton’s £18million obligation to buy was triggered when they avoided relegation. 102. Rayan Ait-Nouri, Wolves to Manchester City The Athletic’s reported transfer fee: £31.2million (with add-ons) Contract length: Five years First impressions: Came on in leaps and bounds at Wolves and can be spectacular but still needs to refine his defensive game and add finesse in attack. Verdict: A combination of injuries, AFCON and Nico O’Reilly meant Ait-Nouri’s City career is yet to really get going. Certainly hasn’t shown us what he can offer. 101. Tyrique George, Chelsea to Everton Transfer fee: Loan Contract length: End of the season First impressions: The 19-year-old effectively replaces the injured Jack Grealish as a versatile forward option for Everton. Time to show what he can really do in the Premier League (which should be a lot). Verdict: One start and 10 sub appearances. Didn’t force his way into the team but produced some bright cameos without ever really properly grabbing a game. A loan signing, so no real risk. More to come from him, but where next? 100. Bertrand Traore, Ajax to Sunderland Reported transfer fee: Around £2.5million Contract length: One year First impressions: The 29-year-old former Chelsea and Villa winger offers Sunderland something slightly different in terms of being a left-footed player who drifts in from the right. Verdict: Had been a pretty consistent and persistent presence on Sunderland’s right flank, as someone who gave his all before generally being subbed off after an hour. However, he missed almost every match after Christmas with knee injuries and Sunderland now have an interesting decision to make (they hold the option of an extra year on his contract). 99. Jean-Clair Todibo, Nice to West Ham The Athletic’s reported transfer fee: £32.8million The Athletic’s reported contract length: Five years First impressions: France international defender Todibo was considered a real coup when initially signed on loan a year ago, but he blew hot and cold in his debut season. Plenty to prove and dropped by both Graham Potter and now Nuno. Verdict: Finally went on a consistent run of decent form with 12 league appearances in a row, but then picked up a couple of injuries, a red card and was outshone by winter-window loanee Axel Disasi, who displaced him in the team. Basically, too many mistakes and too much time on the treatment table. 98. Xavi Simons, RB Leipzig to Tottenham The Athletic’s reported transfer fee: £52million The Athletic’s reported contract length: Five years First impressions: Tough to judge, this one, but he could be a game-changer for Spurs if Thomas Frank can mould the attack around him. Verdict: Wildly inconsistent with a mixture of stunning goals, a daft red card and complete anonymity. An enigmatic presence who summed up Tottenham’s season in that he should have been so much better than he was. Now sidelined long-term with a horrible ACL injury. 97. Florian Wirtz, Leverkusen to Liverpool The Athletic’s reported transfer fee: £116million (with add-ons) The Athletic’s reported contract length: Five years First impressions: The key to unlocking defences and arguably the key to Liverpool’s season. The fee is absolutely astronomical. Can he possibly live up to that and the hype? Verdict: Nope. He couldn’t. Often seemed on a different wavelength to his new team-mates and, while his underlying numbers initially suggested it was they who were the problem, not him, as the season wore on it became clear the gifted Wirtz just wasn’t at the levels you’d expect. A symptom of Liverpool’s many problems, or one of the causes? We’ll find out next season. Michael Regan/Getty Images 96. Arnaud Kalimuendo, Rennes to Forest The Athletic’s reported transfer fee: £26million Contract length: Five years First impressions: The 23-year-old scored 17 goals in Ligue 1 last season and adds to Forest’s strength in depth. Verdict: A real frustration for Forest fans that he was barely used, especially after scoring a couple of times in the Europa League. Loaned to Eintracht Frankfurt, where he scored six times in 19 Bundesliga games, with Forest’s then head coach Sean Dyche effectively swapping Kalimuendo for Napoli loanee Lucca, which scientists will tell you is the first sign of madness. 95. Kevin, Shakhtar Donetsk to Fulham Reported transfer fee: £34.6m Contract length: Five years First impressions: An exciting 22-year-old Brazilian left-winger who evolved into the star of Shakhtar’s attack last season. Stepovers, skills, invention, pace, two good feet and a lot of fun. Verdict: Talent? Yes. Consistency? Nope. Only nine league starts and 1,038 minutes. A long-term purchase, though, and there is so much to work with if Fulham decide to keep him. 94. Jack Grealish, Manchester City to Everton Transfer fee: Loan Contract length: One year First impressions: If Grealish, in a World Cup season, is given the freedom to express himself and be their main man, this has a good chance of being one of those ‘benefits everyone’ signings. Verdict: Was top of our list in early October, but the initial burst of four assists before September that put him there subsided and his form had dropped off before a season-ending foot injury in January. He was missed by a club who had clearly taken to him, but his future is unclear. 93. Tijjani Reijnders, Milan to Manchester City The Athletic’s reported transfer fee: £61million (with add-ons) Contract length: Five years First impressions: Adds physicality and dynamism to a midfield that sorely lacked it last season. A gliding, elegant midfielder. Verdict: Bit of a strange one. Like a cool, refreshing pint of lager in a sunny beer garden, he was only useful in summer before tailing off pretty hard thereafter and barely getting a kick at the business end of the season. 92. Mohammed Kudus, West Ham to Tottenham The Athletic’s reported transfer fee: £55million The Athletic’s reported contract length: Six years First impressions: On his day, a maverick with the dribbling ability to light up and win any match, but inconsistency and his temperament have been issues. A change of scenery appears to have done him good. Verdict: Despite not playing since January 4, Kudus still ends the season seventh in the division for completed dribbles with 52. When he played, he was all-action and a little hit and miss, albeit not helped by his new team-mates. Julian Finney/Getty Images 91. Kyle Walker-Peters, Southampton to West Ham Transfer fee: Free Contract length: Three years First impressions: The 28-year-old’s versatility should be helpful in what is a low-risk deal for a solid Premier League performer. Verdict: Has shared right-back duties with Aaron Wan-Bissaka. Not the best right-back in the league and not the worst; for a free transfer, this was decent business. 90. Walter Benitez, PSV to Palace Transfer fee: Free Reported contract length: Three years First impressions: Probably the best backup goalkeeper signing of the summer in the Premier League? You’ll never sing that, etc. Brings nine years of top-level European experience with Nice and PSV. Verdict: Eight appearances, three clean sheets (most notably in a Carabao Cup win against Liverpool at Anfield) and his reputation as a very able deputy to Dean Henderson was confirmed. 89. Freddie Woodman, Preston North End to Liverpool Transfer fee: Free Reported contract length: One year First impressions: The 28-year-old has swapped weekly football in the Championship (37 league starts for Preston last time out) for what is effectively a season ticket at Anfield. Nice work if you can get it. Verdict: We take it all back, Freddie! Dramatically called into action in the Merseyside derby last month, no less, with Alisson out and then Giorgi Mamardashvili forced off injured, and coped well amid high-stakes pressure. Played a couple more league games after that, and did pretty well. 88. Mathys Tel, Bayern to Tottenham The Athletic’s reported transfer fee: £38.9million (with add-ons) Contract length: Six years First impressions: Huge potential and still very young, having turned 20 in April, but potential is all it is for the moment. Left out of Spurs’ Champions League squad. Verdict: Improved as the season went on from a very low bar but still maddeningly inconsistent. Could be very good, could be very bad, the Leeds game being a case in point when he scored a great goal before conceding a very daft penalty. Alex Pantling/Getty Images 87. Luca Netz, Borussia Monchengladbach to Forest Reported transfer fee: £2m Contract length: Four and a half years First impressions: The 22-year-old arrives with plenty of Bundesliga experience; a low-risk, potentially high-reward deal for a player who was being linked with Chelsea not so long ago. Verdict: Barely played until right at the end of the season when he broke into the side. Showed quality when he was given a chance. 86. James McAtee, Manchester City to Forest The Athletic’s reported transfer fee: £30million (with add-ons) Contract length: Five years First impressions: Joins Morgan Gibbs-White, Elliot Anderson and Omari Hutchinson as a core of fledgling English talents at Forest. In theory a great addition, but the 22-year-old has only been handed one start in the league, which is typical of Forest’s chaotic start to the season. Verdict: Given the money involved, the reputation and the ability, just 297 minutes in the Premier League makes this a poor first season. Did alright in the Europa League but none of Forest’s four head coaches seemed sure where McAtee should fit in. Looked better under Vitor Pereira, suggesting next season could be better. 85. Melker Ellborg, Malmo to Sunderland The Athletic’s reported transfer fee: £3m Contract length: Three and a half years First impressions: Unlikely to see much action behind Robin Roefs (that’s not a joke about the Dutchman’s height). Given Sunderland’s incredible recruitment success rate, he’ll probably end up being the next Thomas Ravelli. Verdict: Winter-window buy who played three league games in March when Roefs was injured and helped secure a famous derby victory against Newcastle at St James’ Park. For £3million and aged just 23, this feels like a good addition. 84. Sean Longstaff, Newcastle to Leeds The Athletic’s reported transfer fee: £15million (with add-ons) Contract length: Four years First impressions: Has brought stability and dynamism in midfield, also offers good set-piece deliveries and suits Leeds’ physical approach. The second-best tackler in the Premier League so far too with 15 won. Very good. Verdict: After an excellent start, he found himself out of the side through injury at just the wrong time, with Leeds switching to a back three and transforming their fortunes. Didn’t start a league match after that. 83. Aaron Ramsdale, Southampton to Newcastle Transfer fee: Loan (reported £4million to £5m fee) Contact length: One year First impressions: Appears to have a genuine redemption story in his grasp at Newcastle, given their current first-choice goalkeeper Nick Pope’s inconsistent form. The epitome of good competition. Verdict: Had a couple of stints in the team, but due to Pope being injured or out of form, rather than because he necessarily excelled. Was always signed as a stop-gap solution and has never really threatened to secure a permanent deal. 82. Dilane Bakwa, Strasbourg to Forest The Athletic’s reported transfer fee: £30.3million (with add-ons) Contract length: Five years First impressions: The 23-year-old Frenchman produced 12 goals and 21 assists in 71 matches at Strasbourg after moving from Bordeaux in summer 2023. Verdict: Winger Bakwa played 24 times across all competitions and was a mixed bag of pace, trickery and injuries, failing to score and providing two assists. More to come next year if he stays. 81. Amine Adli, Leverkusen to Bournemouth The Athletic’s reported transfer fee: £25.1million (with add-ons) Contract length: Five years First impressions: The 25-year-old Morocco international winger is Dango Ouattara’s replacement, and a pretty good one at that. Verdict: In Bournemouth’s rotating attack, he was mostly used as a substitute (21 times in 31 league outings) on the left flank. Winning goals against Liverpool (in stoppage time) and Everton were highlights of a decent season. Michael Steele/Getty Images 80. Yeremy Pino, Villarreal to Palace The Athletic’s reported transfer fee: Over £21.6million The Athletic’s reported contract length: Five years First impressions: If someone said four years ago that Pino would end up at Palace, you’d think his career had gone drastically wrong, but this wonderkid at Villarreal saw his progress stalled by a serious knee injury in late 2023. Thrilling to watch at times. Verdict: Difficult one to sum up. His end product was fairly limited (five goals and five assists from 50 appearances) but he was up for the physical battle and, if teams sat off him, he could run a game on his own. Moments of genius, but could get lost too. 79. Martin Dubravka, Newcastle to Burnley Transfer fee: Undisclosed Contract length: One year First impressions: As far as cheap goalkeepers go, the 36-year-old Slovakia international is pretty much as good as it gets for a relegation-battling Premier League club. A very shrewd signing. Verdict: Started so well and was Burnley’s best player in the opening months, but had a nightmare against West Ham in November and was more down than up thereafter, albeit not helped by a porous defence in front of him. Ended the season out of the side. 78. Jorgen Strand Larsen, Wolves to Palace The Athletic’s reported transfer fee: £48m (with add-ons) Contract length: Four and a half years First impressions: Surely it’s not just us; this is a bit nuts, isn’t it? Spending up to £48million on a non-goalscoring striker probably makes this the winter window’s boldest deal, to put it nicely. Verdict: Three early goals made him a fans’ favourite but he gradually tailed off and, other than a goal against Shakhtar Donetsk in the Conference League semi-finals, he hasn’t scored since early March, with a fit-again Mateta showing up the Norwegian’s physical limitations. 77. Callum Wilson, Newcastle to West Ham Transfer fee: Free Contract length: One year First impressions: Are West Ham getting the England international of only two years ago, or the guy who didn’t score last season in 22 short-lived appearances (spread across just 458 minutes) and is now 33? Verdict: A decent haul of seven goals from a stop-start season, with the highlight being a stoppage-time winner over Everton (rather than a stoppage-time equaliser against Arsenal, which was chalked off by VAR). 76. Evann Guessand, Villa to Palace Transfer fee: Loan Contract length: End of the season First impressions: Allowed to leave by Villa just six months after joining for £30million, which reflects how disappointing he was at Villa Park. Stick this one in the ‘Hmmm’ pile. Verdict: Much more suited to life at Palace. Came up with a couple of goals, including a late winner against Wolves, and looked transformed until a knee injury curtailed his progress. 75. Noni Madueke, Chelsea to Arsenal The Athletic’s reported transfer fee: £52million (with add-ons) The Athletic’s reported contract length: Five years First impressions: Positives: a very effective, direct and pacy dribbler who excels in one-v-one situations. Negatives: can be injury-prone, can be inconsistent, his end-product needs work, and the fee is very large for a likely backup forward. Verdict: Pretty much exactly as expected. Helped mitigate against Bukayo Saka’s absence and epitomised Arsenal’s canny squad building, but was expensive and still very hit and miss, particularly with his lack of composure in shooting positions. James Fearn/Getty Images 74. Mads Hermansen, Leicester City to West Ham Reported transfer fee: Around £20million Contract length: Five years First impressions: You question how great West Ham’s need for a new goalkeeper was. Conceded 11 goals in his opening four appearances, including a couple of wafty howlers, before being dropped. Verdict: Restored to the side in February in place of Alphonse Areola. Initially raised the bar (not literally) with some great performances but, like West Ham, his inconsistency has proved costly on occasion, like that recent dopey pass against Newcastle. 73. Giorgi Mamardashvili, Valencia to Liverpool The Athletic’s reported transfer fee: £29million (with add-ons) Reported contract length: Six years First impressions: You’d be hard-pressed to find a better shot-stopping goalkeeper in his age range in Europe than the giant (6ft 5in/197cm) 24-year-old Georgia international. Verdict: A whopping 20 appearances owing to deputising for the injured Alisson was a prolonged audition for the long-term No 1 spot and, despite some tremendous saves and a decent physical presence, he’s certainly not at that standard (yet). Distribution was jelly-level wobbly. 72. James Trafford, Burnley to Manchester City The Athletic’s reported transfer fee: £27million Contract length: Five years First impressions: A howler or two and Trafford was unceremoniously dumped in favour of fellow summer signing Gianluigi Donnarumma. A great No 2 for City, but this isn’t what Trafford needs in his career right now. Verdict: Seventeen appearances and eight clean sheets, including in both the Carabao Cup final and the FA Cup final, have helped Trafford end the season with his reputation enhanced and a place in England’s World Cup squad. 71. Chemsdine Talbi, Club Brugge to Sunderland The Athletic’s reported transfer fee: Around £19.5million Contract length: Five years First impressions: A highly rated 20-year-old Belgium youth international whose addition is a bit of a coup. High ceiling, but he’s only 5ft 9in (175cm), so that’s not an issue. Been a little isolated at times, but clearly talented and looks like there’s plenty more to come. Verdict: Scored memorable goals against Newcastle, Liverpool and Chelsea. Used from the bench a lot but has shown his undoubted class, and also broke into the Morocco squad. 70. Dan Ndoye, Bologna to Forest Reported transfer fee: £35million Contract length: Five years First impressions: The 24-year-old Switzerland international isn’t the finished product, and his lack of physicality may be an issue, but his desire to take players on and make things happen will be fun to watch. Verdict: There’s a player there, but for £35million, you’d have expected more than two goals and two assists in all competitions, albeit he wasn’t helped by Forest changing their manager a fair amount (to be fair, he joined the wrong club if he wanted managerial consistency). 69. Omari Hutchinson, Ipswich to Forest The Athletic’s reported transfer fee: £37.5million Contract length: Five years First impressions: Forest are paying a premium because of his nationality (English) and his potential (high). One of those who you’d expect more from in a better team, but has bizarrely been left out of their Europa League squad. Verdict: Like many of Forest’s new signings, Hutchinson got used in a variety of positions under four different managers and struggled for consistency. Some potential, reflected by seven Premier League assists, but Forest fans will want more from their current record signing next season. Mike Hewitt/Getty Images 68. Charalampos Kostoulas, Olympiacos to Brighton The Athletic’s reported transfer fee: £31.3million (with add-ons) Contract length: Five years First impressions: There are high expectations for the 6ft 1in (185cm) 18-year-old, who mostly operates as a striker. Verdict: Only 550 all-competitions minutes, but you could see in one second against Bournemouth in January what a talent he is, with that ridiculous overhead-kick goal. Raw, exciting, occasionally electric, but clearly a work in progress. 67. Olivier Boscagli, PSV to Brighton Transfer fee: Free Contract length: Five years First impressions: A pacy, ball-playing defender who completed more long passes than anyone in Europe’s top seven divisions in 2023-24. Could be one of the summer’s best deals if/when he breaks into the team. Verdict: A good player mostly trapped behind a very established centre-back partnership at Brighton. Made nine league starts, seven of them in 2026, and looks like a clean fit for possession football, albeit at 181cm (just shy of 6ft) there are slight concerns over his lack of aerial/physical prowess. 66. Bafode Diakite, Lille to Bournemouth The Athletic’s reported transfer fee: £34.6million (with add-ons) Reported contract length: Five years First impressions: Aggressive, technical French centre-back who was a pillar of Lille’s defence last season. Aged 24 and looks capable of big things. Verdict: Seemed to settle into the team pretty quickly and impressed with his athleticism but after losing his place to James Hill in December he couldn’t get back in the side, with Bournemouth only losing one more league match (at home to title-bound Arsenal) thereafter. 65. Jair Cunha, Botafogo to Forest Reported transfer fee: £10million Contract length: Five years First impressions: The 20-year-old centre-back is very much in the up-and-coming mould, with emphasis on the word ‘up’ – he’s 6ft 6in (198cm) and needs climbing up to win headers against, but he still has ‘good feet for a big lad’. Verdict: Played a fair bit towards the end of the season once Vitor Pereira was head coach. Calm, quick and has a high ceiling (at that height, he needs it). Really promising prospect. 64. Tammy Abraham, Besiktas to Villa The Athletic’s reported transfer fee: £18.1million The Athletic’s reported contract length: Four and a half years First impressions: Doesn’t feel like the most natural fit for Unai Emery style-wise, but getting a body through the door as backup to Ollie Watkins was crucial in January. Verdict: Clearly has been backup for Watkins and not had much game time, but has scored some significant goals which have secured vital points. In which case: job done. 63. Thierno Barry, Villarreal to Everton The Athletic’s reported transfer fee: £27.5million Contract length: Four years First impressions: A colossus at 6ft 4in (195cm) who can hold the ball up and is mobile, strong and shows good movement. A bit of a risky one, as yes, he’s raw, and no, he may not score a load of goals just yet. Verdict: Took until his 14th Premier League appearance to produce his first shot on target, against Bournemouth in December. After that, a much-improved run of eight goals in 22 games. Endured some really tough times (including some boos from his own supporters), work to do, but enough signs there that next year might be better. Matt McNulty/Getty Images 62. Lutsharel Geertruida, Leipzig to Sunderland Transfer fee: Loan Contract length: One year First impressions: The 25-year-old Netherlands international joined Leipzig for around £17million last summer after coming through the ranks at Feyenoord. He played more than 200 times for the Rotterdam club, mostly at right-back, but he can also fit in as a central defender. Verdict: His versatility proved useful, with appearances at centre-back, right-back and also in midfield. A classy player who progressed the ball nicely and was probably a little bit underused. 61. Jacob Ramsey, Villa to Newcastle The Athletic’s reported transfer fee: £44million (with add-ons) Reported contract length: Five years First impressions: Very ‘pure profit’, this. Newcastle were short of midfield cover and Ramsey, with his dynamism, athleticism and positive attacking mindset, gives them a fresh option. Injury history is a concern. Verdict: Took time to settle and an ankle injury early on affected him, too, but Ramsey really came into his own during the second half of the season and looked like the kind of technical but athletic player Newcastle require to evolve as a team. 60. Maxim De Cuyper, Club Brugge to Brighton The Athletic’s reported transfer fee: £17.3million Contract length: Five years First impressions: Replaces Pervis Estupinan in the squad and provides competition for Ferdi Kadioglu. Verdict: Rotated at left-back with Kadioglu (who outshone him on the way to being voted Brighton’s player of the season), which was sometimes tactical and sometimes down to form. Lived up to his reputation in that he was decent going forward but not so sharp defensively. In general, a busy, creative addition to their squad. 59. Noah Okafor, Milan to Leeds The Athletic’s reported transfer fee: £18million Contract length: Four years First impressions: Leeds have loved a gamble on an injury-prone attacker this summer. Already in the team and making an impact. Verdict: Overall, surpassed expectations. Came with an injury record but featured in 29 league games and made a big impact — eight goals and one assist is a decent return for a relegation battler. His double in April’s win at Old Trafford will go down in Leeds history. 58. Joao Palhinha, Bayern to Tottenham Transfer fee: Loan Contract length: One year First impressions: For Spurs to bring the former Fulham man back to England for peanuts adds a layer of steel to their midfield that has been missing for some time. Verdict: His presence as a second defensive midfielder alongside Rodrigo Bentancur initially caused a bit of a Spurs culture war. Won a lot of tackles, perhaps wasn’t quite the player Spurs fans perhaps wanted or needed him to be but where would they be without him? Probably the Championship, seeing as Palhinha scored crucial goals in three of Spurs’ 10 league victories, including vital winners against Wolves and on the final day against Everton. 57. Nick Woltemade, Stuttgart to Newcastle The Athletic’s reported transfer fee: £69.3million (with add-ons) Reported contract length: Six years First impressions: They can’t exactly call him their first choice, but Newcastle finally have a forward in the door and yes, he’s a very good one. Surname will be pronounced ‘Walt Made’ by thousands of Geordies. Verdict: He could be anonymous, but he could also be spellbinding. Scorer of one of the greatest penalty kicks in Premier League history, a unique talent and netted 11 times in an inconsistent side. Got moved from centre-forward into midfield and didn’t look comfortable until a late-season switch to the No 10 role in a tweaked 4-2-3-1 system. Stu Forster/Getty Images 56. Omar Alderete, Getafe to Sunderland The Athletic’s reported transfer fee: £11.4million (with add-ons) Contract length: Four years First impressions: Several commanding, unflustered displays and a winning goal against Forest in September. A proper defender. Verdict: Rugged, reliable and a front-foot defender who loved getting stuck in. One of many very good Sunderland signings this season. 55. Jaka Bijol, Udinese to Leeds The Athletic’s reported transfer fee: £15million Contract length: Five years First impressions: Slovenia international centre-back. The 6ft 3in (190cm) 26-year-old’s profile was summed up by an Athletic subscriber under a recent Leeds article: “Big, hard b*****d that can play a bit. Nice one.” Verdict: Bornauw, but with far more quality. A brute in the middle of the back three but had a pass on him, too. Good battler with opposition strikers, and a bargain for that fee. 54. Stefan Ortega, Manchester City to Forest The Athletic’s reported transfer fee: £500,000 Contract length: End of the season First impressions: A short-term deal to cover Victor, who is out for the rest of the season with a knee injury. Verdict: A cheap mid-season upgrade on Victor, he generally did pretty well as Forest’s Europa League goalkeeper, playing 10 times in all competitions. 53. Martin Zubimendi, Real Sociedad to Arsenal The Athletic’s reported transfer fee: £55.8million The Athletic’s reported contract length: Five years First impressions: If Arsenal get the player they think they are getting, Zubimendi will help facilitate an improved attacking dynamic for Arteta’s side. Verdict: Had a season of two halves. Felt like Arsenal’s difference-maker initially but seemingly suffered a huge loss of confidence that club legend Ian Wright said he hadn’t seen in a top player “for a long time” and has ended the season out of the side, and probably also physically spent. 52. Piero Hincapie, Leverkusen to Arsenal Transfer fee: Loan Contract length: One year First impressions: Hincapie has been primed for a move to an elite European club for some time; the 23-year-old can play at left centre-back or as a wing-back. Verdict: Versatility proved to be a strength. Was fully committed in everything he did and an outstanding defender who won the club’s player of the month award in April. Not so good going forward, though, and Arsenal’s £45million option to buy is a lot. Julian Finney/Getty Images 51. Reinildo Mandava, Atletico to Sunderland Transfer fee: Free Contract length: Two years First impressions: The first player from Mozambique in the Premier League (finally!), the 31-year-old has filled Sunderland’s problem left-back position for no fee. Verdict: Very good in one-v-ones, pretty solid and consistent, albeit sometimes crossed the line with his aggression. They missed him when he was absent, which was fairly frequently (AFCON, an injury and a suspension). For a free transfer, you can’t get much better value. 50. Hugo Ekitike, Eintracht Frankfurt to Liverpool The Athletic’s reported transfer fee: £79million (with add-ons) The Athletic’s reported contract length: Six years First impressions: It feels rare for a striker who is both young and extremely expensive to hit the ground running in this way. Ekitike’s pace, height and physicality look ideally suited to the Premier League. Verdict: Began the season well, easily outshone fellow new striker Alexander Isak and his goals per minutes played ratio was good. Did then end his season with a run of two in 13 appearances before suffering a horrible injury in April, but given how hard-working he is and how clinical he can be, Ekitike can certainly be viewed as a very good addition. 49. Milos Kerkez, Bournemouth to Liverpool The Athletic’s reported transfer fee: Around £40million The Athletic’s reported contract length: Five years First impressions: May take a while to settle in and adapt, but it’s hard to see the 21-year-old Hungarian, who was recently named in the PFA Premier League Team of the Year for last season, not being a success. Verdict: Perhaps overawed in the opening months when he was a fish out of water but once he got to grips with the style of play, he started to show hints of last year’s form and was much more consistent in the second half of the campaign. One you’d expect to kick on in 2026-27. 48. Kevin Danso, Lens to Tottenham The Athletic’s reported transfer fee: £20.9million The Athletic’s reported contract length: Five years First impressions: Given the injury records of Cristian Romero and Micky van de Ven, he’ll play plenty. Limited as a player but very solid and a great character in the dressing room. Verdict: Not an elite centre-back but surprisingly solid amid the madness at Spurs — barring a mistake that cost them an April win against Brighton. Played 36 times and on the whole did a great job when called upon, particularly if that job was to head crosses clear. 47. Marco Bizot, Brest to Villa Transfer fee: Undisclosed The Athletic’s reported contract length: Three years First impressions: Had been Brest’s No 1 goalkeeper for the past four seasons and moved to Villa Park probably expecting to be their Carabao Cup fill-in, but will now be known for one of the Premier League’s greatest managerial interview meltdowns… “Marco Bizot.” Verdict: Fourteen appearances in total due to various ailments and withdrawals from Emiliano Martinez. Clearly better than the man he replaced as their No 2, Robin Olsen. Can’t say fairer than that. 46. Ladislav Krejci, Girona to Wolves The Athletic’s reported transfer fee: Loan (£6million fee) Contract length: One year First impressions: Ball-playing centre-back who can also operate in midfield. The 26-year-old, left-footed Czech Republic international oozes quality and is composure personified. Verdict: Wolves’ best signing of the season, for sure, but that’s a bit like winning best Wi-Fi signal on the UK’s rail network. The £20million deal already in place for them to sign him permanently feels like a bargain. 45. Gianluigi Donnarumma, PSG to Manchester City The Athletic’s reported transfer fee: £25.9million Contract length: Five years First impressions: A box-office, Harlem Globetrotter of a goalkeeper, Donnarumma comes with baggage but remains one of the best at his position in the world game. Verdict: Could be terrifying with the ball at his feet, a la the goal he gifted to Arsenal in April, but generally a fantastic keep-the-ball-out-our-net goalkeeper. Carl Recine/Getty Images 44. Jorrel Hato, Ajax to Chelsea The Athletic’s reported transfer fee: Over £34.5million The Athletic’s reported contract length: Seven years First impressions: Classic Chelsea stockpiling. Still only a teenager, but played 111 times for Ajax and has been in and out of the Netherlands’ senior squad for almost two years. He may have to bide his time behind Marc Cucurella. Verdict: Struggled at first but came into his own towards the end of the season. Versatile enough to cover left-back or centre-back and 36 appearances in all competitions was probably more than the promising now 20-year-old was expecting. 43. El Hadji Malick Diouf, Slavia Prague to West Ham Reported transfer fee: £19million Reported contract length: Five years First impressions: The Senegal international, one of the outstanding players in the Czech league last season, looks a real prospect. An overlapping full-back who can whip over a hell of a cross. Verdict: A bit chaotic at times, which was to be expected given his age (he turned 21 just after Christmas), but his pace, athleticism and attacking adventure were attributes that, if honed, should help him thrive in English football. 42. Djordje Petrovic, Chelsea to Bournemouth The Athletic’s reported transfer fee: £25million Contract length: Five years First impressions: Yep, very good. Solid start with three clean sheets so far, aiding Bournemouth’s title bid. Verdict: Only Dubravka at doomed Burnley made more saves than Petrovic, despite Bournemouth’s lofty league position. Like his team, he started so well, then dipped, then ended the season really strongly. A calm presence between the sticks who was probably better than Neto and Travers before him, and maybe even Kepa too. Underrated. 41. Jaidon Anthony, Bournemouth to Burnley Reported transfer fee: £8million Contract length: Four years First impressions: Low expectations, but made a wonderful start to the season with four goals in seven Premier League appearances. Verdict: Made a mockery of that fee with eight goals and four assists in the league. If he didn’t provide Burnley’s end-product, there wasn’t a huge amount else to write home about, and those numbers were excellent in a very poor side — his team-mates voted him their player of the season. 40. Matheus Cunha, Wolves to Manchester United The Athletic’s reported transfer fee: £62.5million Contract length: Five years First impressions: A truly gifted footballer who has already proved he can thrive in the Premier League, but ironing out the temperament issues that scared higher-ranked teams off will be key. Verdict: A slow start and had a habit of trying to do too much and ending up doing nothing, but really improved as the season went on and finished with a respectable 10 league goals. One of many who looked better once Michael Carrick was appointed in January, and someone you’d expect to kick on even more next time. Molly Darlington/Getty Images 39. Enzo Le Fee, Roma to Sunderland The Athletic’s reported transfer fee: £20million Contract length: Four years First impressions: Ridiculously talented, works his a**e off and has the touch of an angel. There is a question mark over exactly where head coach Regis Le Bris fits him into the Sunderland XI. Verdict: Tremendous work rate, six goals and six assists, and a versatile, technically gifted presence who looked at home in the Premier League. 38. Bryan Mbeumo, Brentford to Manchester United The Athletic’s reported transfer fee: £71million (with add-ons) Contract length: Five years First impressions: Busy on and off the ball; works extremely hard, and the end-product will probably come once he hones his role in the side. Verdict: The fee was a lot and, like Cunha, didn’t hit the heights he scaled at his previous club, but was a reliable, functional forward. Certainly a very good addition to United’s forward line in a promising first season as part of their best summer of recruitment for some time. 37. Alex Jimenez, Milan to Bournemouth Transfer fee: Loan Contract length: One year First impressions: Real Madrid and now Milan have both been happy to let the fiery (12 bookings and a red card across all competitions last season) 20-year-old Spain youth international move on. Enter, well… Bournemouth. Verdict: His loan was made permanent in February when he made a certain number of appearances to trigger an obligation to buy. Had been consistently excellent at right-back but his recent suspension by the club has thrown his future in doubt. 36. Nordi Mukiele, PSG to Sunderland Reported transfer fee: £12million (with add-ons) Contract length: Four years First impressions: Has played most of his career on the right flank but Le Bris has used Mukiele at centre-back and been rewarded with a couple of colossal performances. Verdict: His pace, athleticism and composure led to Mukiele becoming a real fans’ favourite on Wearside. Sunderland looked better with him in the side, both in defence and attack. 35. Viktor Gyokeres, Sporting to Arsenal The Athletic’s reported transfer fee: £63.4million (with add-ons) The Athletic’s reported contract length: Five years First impressions: Will need to kick on soon if he is to be that game-changer for Arsenal’s title prospects this season. Great at charging after loose balls, less so at controlling said ball. Verdict: Improved dramatically after Christmas. His goal and throwback performance in the Champions League semi-final at Atletico Madrid was a highlight. Not great at football, let’s be honest, but very good at scoring goals, and 21 of them in all competitions is an impressive first-year return. Alex Pantling/Getty Images 34. Eberechi Eze, Palace to Arsenal The Athletic’s reported transfer fee: £67.5million (with add-ons) The Athletic’s reported contract length: Four years First impressions: Adds much-needed balance to Arsenal’s attack. Verdict: Patchy in the first half of the season but five goals against Spurs (including a hat-trick) gave him hero status and he slowly edged ahead of Martin Odegaard, albeit he could still lack the influence and authority to run a game. 33. Caoimhin Kelleher, Liverpool to Brentford The Athletic’s reported transfer fee: £18million (with add-ons) Contract length: Five years First impressions: A goalkeeper once described by Jurgen Klopp as the best No 2 in the world now steps up to be a Premier League No 1. Verdict: Much more reliable than predecessor Mark Flekken and overall a very good addition. Made a few mistakes but also saved three penalties, including one from Bruno Fernandes in a 3-1 win against Manchester United. 32. Axel Disasi, Chelsea to West Ham Transfer fee: Loan Contract length: End of the season First impressions: A textbook winter-window signing. The 27-year-old Disasi played 27 times last year but hasn’t kicked a ball in senior football this year, so expectations may have to be tempered. Verdict: A good winter-window signing who was a step up on Todibo and Maximilian Kilman. Had the odd boob in him but formed a pretty good partnership with Konstantinos Mavropanos, which was a key factor behind West Ham’s improvement from January onwards. 31. Lukas Nmecha, Wolfsburg to Leeds Transfer fee: Free Contract length: Two years First impressions: His ability is not in doubt, but the 26-year-old has endured horrendous luck with injuries. A low-risk punt. Verdict: A very good stand-in for Dominic Calvert-Lewin and popped up with big goals, notably the late winner against Fulham in January. Six goals in around 1,000 league minutes was good going. 30. Jordan Henderson, Ajax to Brentford Transfer fee: Free Contract length: Two years First impressions: Surprisingly slotted back into the Premier League like he hadn’t been away. Verdict: Proved a lot of people wrong. Actually only started 22 league games but in the early months of the season in particular he was a leader and a stabilising presence after a huge summer of change at Brentford. Adrian Dennis/AFP via Getty Images 29. Benjamin Sesko, Leipzig to Manchester United The Athletic’s reported transfer fee: £73.6million (with add-ons) Contract length: Five years First impressions: The 22-year-old is not the finished product but United are getting a lightning-quick, relentless, agile attacking artist who, in theory, should be a superstar in time. Verdict: Injuries and a long adaptation period meant it was a while before United saw Sesko’s potential, showcased in a run of seven goals from 10 appearances towards the end of the season. Many of those came from the bench and Carrick’s task is to fine-tune Sesko’s all-round game next year. Yep, there’s plenty to work with there. Scored a goal every 148 minutes, one of the best ratios in the league. 28. Brian Brobbey, Ajax to Sunderland The Athletic’s reported transfer fee: £17million Contract length: Five years First impressions: Has made a nuisance of himself at times but nothing substantial of note yet for a player whose Premier League pedigree is unknown. Verdict: Sunderland fans will tell you he was worth £17million just for that stoppage-time winner at St James’ Park in March. His deciding goal in November’s comeback victory over Bournemouth and last-gasp equaliser against Arsenal a few weeks earlier were also highlights of their season. A battering-ram of a striker, annoying to play against and a very good focal point. 27. Dango Ouattara, Bournemouth to Brentford The Athletic’s reported transfer fee: £42million (with add-ons) Contract length: Five years First impressions: His talent isn’t in doubt, but it is an astonishing amount of money for a Bournemouth backup player. Verdict: Seven goals, three assists and a fine first season in west London. He had a big job replacing Mbeumo on the right wing but Brentford’s club-record signing scored in wins against Villa (twice), Liverpool and Newcastle and justified that lofty fee. 26. Gabriel Gudmundsson, Lille to Leeds The Athletic’s reported transfer fee: £10million Contract length: Four years First impressions: Good for Lille, good for Sweden’s national team, but will the 26-year-old left-back cut it in the Premier League? Verdict: Hard to believe, given his attacking enthusiasm and ball-carrying ability, that he didn’t score (in the opposition net, there was one own-goal against Fulham in September) or provide an assist in the league. Great business for £10million, very dependable and will probably attract decent offers either this summer or next. 25. Igor Jesus, Botafogo to Forest Reported transfer fee: £10million Contract length: Four years First impressions: Forest needed competition for Chris Wood up front, and the 24-year-old fits the bill as a senior Brazil international who has scored at a healthy rate back home. Verdict: Didn’t make Carlo Ancelotti’s World Cup squad, but 16 goals in 52 appearances in all competitions, especially at that price, make him Forest’s best signing of the season. Good in the Europa League (scoring seven times in 13 games) and was an important player for them with Wood out for so long. Alex Pantling/Getty Images 24. Taty Castellanos, Lazio to West Ham Reported transfer fee: £26million Contract length: Four and a half years First impressions: An energetic, hard-working forward in the Nuno Espirito Santo mould. Verdict: Pretty frantic, but you could forgive him a lack of ruthlessness when he was running around like a toddler on two packs of Haribo. Wholehearted chutzpah, a few good goals and a bit of a cult hero. Nice January business, albeit his six goals couldn’t save the Hammers. 23. Zian Flemming, Millwall to Burnley Reported transfer fee: £7million Contract length: Four years First impressions: Has a name that suggests he arrived from a tropical location. Nope, just Bermondsey. Solid Championship performer. Should chip in here and there. Verdict: Burnley’s player of the season ended up with 11 goals in the league, despite only starting 21 matches. They must have had some side to keep him out. An excellent return for £7million. 22. Anton Stach, Hoffenheim to Leeds The Athletic’s reported transfer fee: Over £17.3million Contract length: Four years First impressions: The 6ft 4in (193cm) midfielder excels at breaking up play, reading and dictating the game and playing incisive passes. A real steal at £17.3m, too. Verdict: Lived up to the hype. Set pieces, shooting, tackling, carrying, passing, heading and endless running; an all-action player whose goal against Villa in February was the highlight of a stellar first campaign. 21. Estevao, Palmeiras to Chelsea The Athletic’s reported transfer fee: £49million (with add-ons) Reported contract length: Eight years First impressions: Forget the excellent statistics so far, just watch him and smile. What a talent. Verdict: Just very, very fun. Often more effective off the bench against tired legs than from the start but it was fair to allow the teenager some leeway regarding him physically adjusting to the Premier League. Injury ended his season and his World Cup hopes. Jacques Feeney/Offside/Offside via Getty Images 20. Noah Sadiki, Union Saint-Gilloise to Sunderland The Athletic’s reported transfer fee: £17.8million Contract length: Five years First impressions: DR Congo international who fits the Sunderland model in terms of age (20) and experience (134 senior appearances for club and country already). Verdict: Covered every blade of grass with the urgency of Joe Wicks trying to hit 20,000 steps before midnight. An intelligent team player who helped the more creative players in Sunderland’s side to thrive. 19. Jaydee Canvot, Toulouse to Palace The Athletic’s reported transfer fee: £22.9million (with add-ons) Contract length: Four years First impressions: Marc Guehi’s long-term successor? Turned 19 just over a month ago and has 14 Ligue 1 starts to his name. Quick, athletic and can operate at defensive midfield, too. Verdict: Was supposed to be one for next season, but broke into the first XI in February following Guehi’s move to Manchester City and had a stellar three months. So composed, so fast and made huge improvements on the ball after a shaky start last year. Looks an exceptional signing. 18. James Justin, Leicester to Leeds The Athletic’s reported transfer fee: £10million (with add-ons) Contract length: Four years First impressions: Literal one-time England international who has lost his way in recent seasons following ACL and Achilles injuries in 2020 and 2021 respectively, hence the relatively low fee. Verdict: Recruited as a backup full-back, so had to bide his time. Got that chance on New Year’s Day and started every league game thereafter. Dependable in every position across the back line. The full package. 17. Antoine Semenyo, Bournemouth to Manchester City The Athletic’s reported transfer fee: £62.5million Contract length: Five and a half years First impressions: Big money, yes, but also perhaps not really, given the talent and the fact he’s coming into his prime at the age of 26. A ready-made star. Verdict: A star was indeed born; 11 goals, including an impudent winner in the FA Cup final. The overall performances weren’t actually that great at times, but his goals record outweighed that. Carl Recine/Getty Images 16. Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall, Chelsea to Everton The Athletic’s reported transfer fee: £25million Contract length: Five years First impressions: Creates chances, is incessantly positive and one of the best passers in the league in the final third. Excellent. Verdict: After an electric start, he reined in the bookings and added end-product, finishing with eight goals and four assists. The pick of the new-signings bunch for Everton, whose work ethic was always impressive. An average end to the campaign, along with the rest of their team. 15. Marc Guehi, Palace to Manchester City The Athletic’s reported transfer fee: £20million Contract length: Five and a half years First impressions: Fantastic ability, great age (25), exceptional fee, homegrown, excellent temperament and the potential to get better… what can you question about this deal? Verdict: A couple of wobbles, in particular in the costly early-May draw at Everton, but mostly he was the calm, composed and authoritative defender City knew they were buying for a bargain price. 14. Victor Lindelof, Manchester United to Villa Transfer fee: Free Contract length: Two years First impressions: Hard to pick fault with this one, given Villa’s financial restrictions. Remains fourth-choice centre-back. Verdict: Easily Villa’s signing of the season. Deputised brilliantly for Pau Torres in defence and then, after Douglas Luiz and Lamare Bogarde had failed to fill the Boubacar Kamara-shaped hole there, stepped up to boss the midfield towards the end of their Europa League-winning run. For a free transfer, this was excellent business. 13. Cristhian Mosquera, Valencia to Arsenal The Athletic’s reported transfer fee: £13million The Athletic’s reported contract length: Five years First impressions: Forget the future, Mosquera looks ready now. Only 21 years old, but is imposing, strong, calm and good in duels. Looks to be one of the bargains of the summer. Verdict: Exceptional against Bayern back in November, exceeded all expectations and impressed throughout, making 34 appearances, including a few at right-back. For that fee, one of the bargains of the season for any club. Stuart MacFarlane/Arsenal FC via Getty Images 12. Adrien Truffert, Rennes to Bournemouth Reported transfer fee: £14.4million (with add-ons) Contract length: Five years First impressions: Capable of eye-catching and all-encompassing displays on the left wing, both defensively and offensively. Verdict: Dynamic, technically gifted, loved an overlapping run and threw himself into tackles for fun. At his current trajectory, he’ll be sold for £60million in a year. Classic Bournemouth. 11. Robin Roefs, NEC Nijmegen to Sunderland The Athletic’s reported transfer fee: £11.7million (with add-ons) Contract length: Five years First impressions: A bit of a revelation. Good handling, quick off his line and a great shot-stopper. Verdict: Good character, a big presence, and a substantial reason behind Sunderland’s hugely successful season. The 23-year-old has all the attributes required in that he can command his area, has good distribution and is a top-level shot-stopper. What a find. 10. Pascal Gross, Dortmund to Brighton The Athletic’s reported transfer fee: £1.7million Contract length: 18 months First impressions: Now 34, Gross is the ultimate utility man who adds class and experience to a squad that has lacked consistency for a while. For the fee, this is a great deal. Verdict: After searching for 18 months for a Pascal Gross replacement, Brighton finally found one. They were 14th when Gross made his second Brighton debut in early January… he played all but two of the available minutes thereafter, and they ended the season eighth and in Europe next season. That was no coincidence. A class act, and bringing him home was a great idea that helped save Brighton’s campaign. 9. Senne Lammens, Royal Antwerp to Manchester United The Athletic’s reported transfer fee: £21.7million (with add-ons) Contract length: Five years First impressions: The 23-year-old Belgian was among Europe’s best shot-stopping goalkeepers last season. If The Athletic’s eight-year-old nephew’s opinion is anything to go by, he’s excellent: “Bro, the guy is a Courtois regen.” Verdict: Does the Old Trafford world-class-goalkeeping line of succession read; Peter Schmeichel, Edwin van der Sar, David de Gea, Senne Lammens? Solid, consistent and the epitome of a no-nonsense, no-frills, common-sense goalkeeper. Courtois regen indeed. 8. Mateus Fernandes, Southampton to West Ham The Athletic’s reported transfer fee: £41million (with add-ons) Contract length: Five years First impressions: The 21-year-old Portuguese is a positive, gifted presence in West Ham’s midfield. Verdict: Tackles, duels, recoveries, long-range worldies, piercing passes, Fernandes took on the job of chief West Ham playmaker after Lucas Paqueta’s January exit and excelled. Difficult to see him staying at the London Stadium much longer, even though he’s only just gone there. He’s that good. Ben Stansall/AFP via Getty Images 7. Rayan, Vasco da Gama to Bournemouth Transfer fee: £24.7million (plus add-ons) Contract length: Five and a half years First impressions: Bournemouth have high hopes for the 19-year-old forward, who scored 20 goals in 57 games in the 2025 Brazilian season. Verdict: You’d think a teenager moving to Bournemouth from Brazil in January might need time to adjust to England and the Premier League, but Rayan isn’t your average footballer. Thirteen league starts, seven goal involvements and compared to Gareth Bale for his dynamic, powerful dribbling style. Bournemouth have done it again. 6. Malick Thiaw, Milan to Newcastle The Athletic’s reported transfer fee: £34.6million (with add-ons) Reported contract length: Four years First impressions: Thiaw, aged 24 and capped three times by Germany, is comfortable on the ball, can play in a high line and is good at switching play. Rolls-Royce-type, very calm under pressure, good technique, quick and decent in the air. Verdict: Started 50 of their last 52 games in all competitions (and at one stage, 38 in succession). Not perfect, but overall he was a model of consistency and chipped in with a few goals too amid some imperious defensive displays. 5. Joao Pedro, Brighton to Chelsea The Athletic’s reported transfer fee: Over £50million The Athletic’s reported contract length: Seven years First impressions: Chelsea’s only quandary is how best to use him in their forward line. Petulant and quite annoying, but also great to watch. Verdict: At times, he was Chelsea’s emergency generator that kept the whole thing going. It was initially thought his best role would be off the striker, but with that striker being Liam Delap, it fell on Joao Pedro to try to do everything himself. Chelsea’s best player (with 23 all-competitions goals, Club World Cup included, and six assists), and certainly their best signing of the season. 4. Dominic Calvert-Lewin, Everton to Leeds Transfer fee: Free Contact length: Three years First impressions: A few early starts have set a good foundation from which to kick on, injuries permitting, as Calvert-Lewin looks to get back to his best. Verdict: What a season. Fourteen league goals, and one of the feel-good stories of the whole campaign, given that it looked like his career had completely stalled. Became the first player to score in six consecutive Leeds matches for 65 years. A free signing, albeit on mega-wages with the club valuing him as something like a £20million-plus investment all in, but boy, was he worth it. George Wood/Getty Images 3. Michael Kayode, Fiorentina to Brentford Reported transfer fee: £14.5million Contract length: Five years First impressions: Long throws are in vogue, and this guy is the best in the league at them, with his flat, hard cannonballs. Kayode is also quick and effective going forward when the ball is at his feet. Verdict: Only four players in the league completed more take-ons than his 55, and he was the only defender in the top 15 of Premier League dribblers. Caused carnage like a red-and-white-striped Tasmanian Devil, with his ambling runs and exceptional long throws. A fantastic talent who doesn’t turn 22 until July and only cost them £14.5million. 2. Rayan Cherki, Lyon to Manchester City The Athletic’s reported transfer fee: £36.3million (with add-ons) Contract length: Five years First impressions: A potential steal — he could be worth five times that amount in three years. Verdict: Ten goals and 15 assists, sure, but this guy’s game is nothing to do with numbers. There’s an argument for calling Cherki the best footballer — in the strictest sense of the word — in the whole division. A gifted maestro who can win any match on his own and a footballer who warms your heart and makes you smile. Throw in the relatively low fee, and this was wonderful business by any measure. 1. Granit Xhaka, Leverkusen to Sunderland The Athletic’s reported transfer fee: £17.3million (with add-ons) Contract length: Three years First impressions: Xhaka adds leadership to a young team and, at 32, still has the legs, skill and vision to make a big impact in midfield. Composure personified. Verdict: Experience, leadership, quality and an incessant desire to fight for the cause in defence and attack. Sunderland’s on-pitch manager, their player of the season and, some say, the club’s best-ever signing. Why? Because not even a genius like Cherki has transformed a dressing room like Xhaka, as well as introducing a new culture to the club and even the city. Sunderland’s first season back in the Premier League couldn’t have gone any better, and neither could this signing. Glyn Kirk/AFP via Getty Images Tim Spiers is a football journalist for The Athletic, based in London. He joined in 2019 having previously worked at the Express & Star in Wolverhampton. 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